Editorial. 24^ 



mature foliage upon the bushes had turned to a brilliant orange — 

 forming a most pleasing feature in the landscape, when viewed at 

 a little distance at a season when flowers were rare. In the 

 spring these same plains are clothed with gorgeous beds of blue 

 Phacelias, various white and yellow flowers, and especially brilliant 

 with the golden Eschscholtzia. and it was a pleasant surprise to 

 And them brilliant in the fall with the equally showy foliage of 

 this shrub. 



The other botanical aspects of the San Carlos mesas at this 

 season were not of great interest, but a few particulars are worthy 

 of note. Aplopappus orcuttii, Gray, was abundant (its original 

 locality), but nearly done blossoming. Artemisia Californica, 

 Eriogonum fasciculatum. Ephedra Californica (frequently covered 

 with a dense growth of a fungus, peculiar to it), and occasional 

 groves of the ' Mahogany tree,' iormed the principal vegetation, 

 except along the banks of little arroyos leading down Irom the 

 hills. Occasional clusters of cactus, buckeyes, Rhus laurina, etc., 

 were seen, while along a ravine 'yerba santa ' (Eriodictyon) was 

 seen growing, and near it, a straggler or two from the hills of the 

 Guadaloupe Island, Cypress; and other shrubs and bushes, the 

 flowering ash, mock willow, etc. 



On the San Carlos blufl", overlooking the ' Maneadero,' I found 

 several large groups of a new species of Cereus, known to the 

 Mexicans as cochal, which I had found eighteen months before 

 near San Quintin bay, in great abundance, which I hope to publish 

 later. One little Saxifraga Parryi, Torr., in bloom on this mesa, 

 should not escape notice. 



Returning to Ensenada on the i8th, I was in season to take the 

 larger steamer ' Whitelaw ' to San Quintin, where we arrived the 

 following morning at 7 o'clock. Right at the nearly completed 

 wharf, a rich bonanza awaited me. An exposure of a large deposit 

 of fossil shells was found, extending for nearly a mile on either 

 hand. The character of the bed is similar to that exposed at 

 several points on San Diego bay, showing that their age must be 

 nearly the same. The species found were mainly identical with 

 those found in the beds at San Diego, with the addition of a 

 considerable number of more southern forms. In several places, 

 across the bay especially, were found places where the stratum 

 was composed principally of what I consider to be Turritella 

 Cooperi. On the other side of the bay the fossils were found 

 lying on a bed of lava to which the oyster and some other shells 

 were attached, while numerous broken fragments and pebbles of 

 lava were mixed in with the shells. Above all loomed up the two 

 silent craters which had belched forth the huge mass of lava 

 doubtless before even the tops of the volcanos had risen above 

 the ocean wave. In the east stands the highest mountain in the 

 peninsula, variously credited with an altitude of 11,000 to 13,000 

 feet, as yet a terra incognita to the naturalist. 



