1876.] The Flora of Guadalupe Island. 223 
though out of the general course of travel, it has been occasion- 
ally visited on this account. Twelve years ago an expelled gov- 
ernor of Lower California took refuge here with his family, and 
remained for two years. Soon afterward a party of men from the 
same state lived for some months upon the island, engaged in 
killing the goats. During the last ten years it has been oc- 
eupied by a California company, by whom it was purchased for 
the purpose of raising the Angora goat, and the island is now 
overrun by these animals. Several men are kept in continual 
charge of them, and regular visits are made by the vessels of the 
company. _ 
With thus much of preliminary remark upon those conditions 
which must affect the vegetation of the island, we may pass to 
the flora itself. As respects the probable sources from which this 
flora may have been derived, it is evident that there has been 
abundant opportunity for the introduction of some species by hu- 
man agency. ‘These should be especially expected near the usual 
landing-place upon the eastern side, excepting such as would be 
probably distributed through the island by means of the goats. 
Those of most recent introduction in this way would doubtless be 
Californian ; the older might be from the nearer peninsula or 
from other localities. Of other recognized agencies for the dis- 
tribution of plants, — the winds, ocean currents, and birds, — the 
- prevalent direction of the first from the northwest is adverse to 
the supposition that any species of phaznogamous plants, at least, 
would be so introduced. The ocean currents might be considered 
as more favorable, and as likely to bring accessions from the Cali- 
fornian main-land, contributed from the interior by the Sacra- 
mento and other smaller streams. But the winds here again 
would prove an interposing agency, and by creating a surface- 
drift toward the coast would prevent floating seeds from attaining 
any great distance from it. Such as did succeed in reaching the 
Island, and «in obtaining and maintaining a foothold upon it, 
would probably be wholly Californian. Less certain conclusions 
Might be expected in regard to the agency of birds, but it ap- 
Pears, from the collection of the birds of the island made by Dr. 
P almer, that they are all in some measure peculiar to the island 
tself, « consisting almost entirely of familiar forms of the birds 
of the Western United States, but showing marked peculiarities, 
entitling them to recognition as geographical varieties. Nothing 
Mexican about them in the slightest degree.” 1 So that, though 
1 Prof. Spencer F. Baird, in letter. 
