2^6 Ihe JVes/ Americaii Scieiitist. 



THE HO OSIER NATURALIST. 



Mr. Lanison, of Valparaiso, Indiana, has received the permission- 

 of the proprietor of The West American Scientist to issue 

 f^om that pl;ice a new monthly magazine as a continuation, and 

 under the old name, of Ihe Hoosier Naturalist, a magazine 

 formerly published by R. B. Trouslot & Co., who sold to the 

 editor ol this magazine the entire right and good will of his 

 publication last July. We wish the new venture success, and 

 trust that the news of the revival, under the old name but under 

 new management, will be received with pleasure by our readers, 

 especially those who know The Hoosiir Naturalist of old. R. 

 B. Trouslot, the former erlitor, w.U probably assist on the new 

 journal, but will continue his connection with this magazine. 



Editor. 



EDITORIAL. 



A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our friends — 

 our readers. In entering upon a fourth volume the prospects 

 seem brighter than ever before, and we have to thank the many 

 who have assisted us so liberally in the past for this pleasant state 

 of affairs. We hope to continue deserving, in their eyes, of their 

 contributions and good will in the future. 



We are especially indebted to Dr. C. C. Parry for editorial 

 assistance the past few months, at a time when we were fully 

 occupied with other work. Professors Josiah Keep, E. L. Greene, 

 R. E. C. Stearns and L. Belding are among others to whom we 

 owe at least this acknowledgment. 



Through the courtesy ol the International Co. of Mexico, we 

 recently paid a short visit to Tndos Santos and San Ouintin bays, 

 Lower California. We left San Diego on the little steamer, 

 ' Carlos Pacheco'. the evening of November 14th, and arrived at 

 Ensenada, on Todos Santos bay, the next morning, having had 

 a very smooth passage. The next day we spent in search of a 

 large tree of Rhus integrifolia, Nutt., there locally known as the 

 ' Mahogany tree ' on account of the dark rich color of the wood. 

 Large fields were found on the San Carlos me -as. and on the 

 ' Maneadero', covered with a luxurious growth of this tree, and 

 many were found from one to two and one-half feet in diameter. 

 These trees were seldom found over twenty feet in height, the 

 trunks rarely over four to six feet in height, and of probably a 

 thousand and more that were examined not one was found free of 

 branches on its trunk for a space of five feet, many branching out^ 

 from near the ground. 



The low oval bushes of Simmondsia Californica were seen every- 

 where on the San Carlos mesas and on the ' Maneadero,' about 

 ten miles south of Ensenada, on Todos Santos bay.. The young, 

 fresh leaves are of a dull glacous green, but all the older — more 



