long, too small to house the animal. It has been found on 

 the Santa Barbara and Guadalupe Islands, and on the main- 

 land of Baja California, under dead plants of Agave Shawii, 

 but not on the main land in California. 



CHLAMYDOCONCHA ORCUTTI 



A single specimen of this curious clam, that lives outside 

 of its rudimentary shell, is reported from Monterey bay, 

 California. Only known previously from the type locality, 

 False bay, San Diego, California, where it was found anch- 

 ored bjr a byssus to the under side of stones. 

 HELIX ASPERSA 



The spotted snail is a European species, long years ago 

 detected at Charleston, S. C, and now not rare about many 

 settlements. In some places it has become a source of an- 

 noyance, eating garden flowers and vegetables altogether 

 too freely. 



x 



SELANGINELLA LEPIDOPHYLLA 



On steep limestone hills, in portions of Texas and Mexico, 

 occurs a curious plant clinging tenaciously by countless 

 fibrous roots that at once hold the scanty soil and the fern- 

 like plant in place. Literally thousands may be found where 

 a misstep would land a careless hunter at the foot of a 

 precipice hundreds of feet high. So thoroughly does this 

 plant take possession that even a cactus finds it difficult or 

 impossible to establish and maintain itself in a mat of resur- 

 rection plants (Selaginella lepidophylla), which seem jealous 

 of any encroachment upon their domain. 



For months these plants remain dry, even for years when 

 no rain falls, the stems curled up into compact balls, but 

 these quickly unfurl after a welcome shower and spread 

 their bright green fronds over the rocks like a magic carpet. 



The plant may be kept for years in a house, dry and in 

 compact form, and upon placing in a saucer of water will 

 soon show a broad expanse of green, which fact has given 

 rise to its popular name. Other species of selaginella are 

 sometimes imported from Mexico and sold by curio dealers 

 under the same common name, but these have no relation- 

 ship with the " Resurrection Plant" of the Holy Land, some- 

 times advertised. 



-x- 



A BOTANICAL STUDY OF MEXICO 



My botanical explorations in Mexico have included every 

 state except Campeche, Tabasco, Yucatan and Chiapas, but 



