12 The Vbest American Scientist. 



Mertensia oblongifolia,Doii., and M. alpina, Don. — Very 

 frequent at about 8,2oo feet and upwards. 



Solanum triflorum, Nutt. — A common garden weed ; also 

 met with in Pueblo Co. 



Solanum rostratum, Dunal. The only locality in Custer 

 Co. is in the eastern part, near to the boundary of Pueblo Co. 

 It probably does not occur even as high as 7,000 ft. 



Pentstemon acuminatus, Dougl. — Very common at about 

 8,300 ft, in open ground. 



Aphyllon fasciculatum, Gray.— On the prairie, at about 

 8,000 ft. T. D. A. Cockerell. 



West Cliff, Custer Co., Colo. 



BRIEF ARTICLES. 



Our Abalone Fisheries. — It is estimated that some three 

 hundred tons of the shells of the abalone were shipped from 

 San Diego during the past year. Fifty tons were handled by 

 Mr. A. Wentscher in January of the present year, but this does 

 not indicate an increase in the trade. The greater portion of 

 these shells are collected on the coast of Lower California. The 

 Chinese are the principal gatherers, notwithstanding they are 

 prohibited by Mexican laws. The shells are sold at $20 to $35 

 per ton, according to the quality, and the dried meat of this 

 mollusk, which is in great demand in China, brings $110 per ton. 

 The species mainly collected in this vicinity (San Diego) are 

 Haliotis splendens, Rve., and H. cracherodii, Leach, with occas- 

 ionally a few specimens of H. corrugata, Gray. The red abalone 

 (H. rufescens, Swains) seems to be most abundantly obtained at 

 Monterey. I have never seen it at San Diego, though I have 

 found it on the Lower Californian coast at the Santo Tomas 

 landing. C. R. Orcutt. 



Colorado Beetles. — I recently sent Dr. John Hamilton, 

 among other Coleoptera, a couple of species collected by Plateau 

 Creek, near Eagalite, Mesa Co., Colo., on Sept. 20, 1887. One 

 of them proves to be Trechus micans, Lee. (= Chalybeus Mann) 

 while the other is identified somewhat doubtfully as the $ of 

 Eleodes quadricollis, Esch. Dr. Hamilton writes : 'The Eleodes 

 quadricollis $ ? agrees exactly with the $ of that species from 

 near San Diego, Calif., in my collection, but as the females of 

 same species are almost inseparable without the $ belonging, and 

 E. quadricollis having never been recorded from Colorado, this 

 maybe an abnormal $ of E. extricata.' Later, he writes that 

 E. quadricollis has been recorded in the report of Wheeler's 

 Survey from South Park and Pagosa (Park and Archuleta 

 counties), so mine will be only a new county record. 



T. D. A. Cockerell. 



