No. 388.] VACATION NOTES. 301 
iar species of Trifolium, Lupinus, and Hosackia, abound; and 
early in the spring the grassy meadows and hillsides are often 
covered with masses of these flowers as well as many others. 
Species of Nemophila and Phacelia represent the Hydrophyl- 
laceze, while the Borraginacez include species of Amsinckia 
and Erytrichium, which, although the flowers are small, occur in 
immense quantities, and are thus very conspicuous. Unfamil- 
iar Scrophulariacez, like Orthocarpus, Mimulus, and Collinsia, 
and the showy poppies, Eschscholtzia, Mecanopsis, and Platyste- 
mon, are all very different from their eastern relatives. Many 
beautiful liliaceous plants also occur in great profusion. The 
most striking of these belong to the western genera Calochor- 
tus —the beautiful Mariposa lilies—and Brodizea; while higher 
up among the redwoods are the more northern genera, Fritillaria, 
Erythronium, and Trillium. In the open sunny valleys these 
vividly colored flowers often occur in great masses, and form veri- 
table carpets of bloom that it would be hard to equal anywhere. 
Later in the season appear hosts of low-growing Composite, 
and on the barren hillsides we may look for the showy Ona- 
grace, so abundant in Pacific North America. Besides the 
familiar Epilobium and CEnothera, there abound species of 
Godetia and Clarkia, and late in the summer the scarlet fuchsia- 
like Zauschneria. 
With the cessation of the rains, which may occur any time 
after the first of April, the flowers mostly disappear, and the 
hillsides assume their summer dress of golden brown until the 
autumn rains start the seeds into growth again. 
Last year was an exceptionally dry one, and when I left San 
Francisco, about the first of June, the surrounding country was 
already dry and dusty, and scarcely a trace of the spring ver- 
dure could be seen anywhere. 
I had engaged passage for Sitka from Tacoma on June 19, 
but decided to spend the interval at some point in Northern 
California, which, except for such glimpses as one can get pass- 
ing through on the railroad, was a new country to me. My 
destination was Castle Crag, one of the many charming spots 
in the beautiful mountain region of the north. It lies about 
2000 feet above sea level within twenty miles of the base of 
