LORQUINIA 
27 
and makes the going very good indeed. After leaving Newhall the 
entire way was new to me and I enjoyed every bit of it, both from 
the scenic standpoint and from the many scientific interests to be noted. 
In the Castaic valley I first noted a plant of the Evening Primrose 
family which I believe is Anogra calif ornica (Wats.) Small. I may 
as well say right here that I made no collections on the way up as I 
expected to return the same way, and for this reason I am unable to 
say positively what some of the plants were. Here also I saw a cactus 
of the genus Opuntia that I hoped to collect as I came home. Climbing 
out of the Castaic valley we first saw the Thistle Poppy, Argemone 
platyceras hispida (Gray) Prain. It was very plentiful along the vvay 
through the mountains. 
Our Geologically inclined members would have enjoyed the ride 
up this side of Liebre mountain. The cuts for the State highway dis- 
closed many strata of alternate sandstones and shales and I wished for 
time to look for fossils, but the day was getting hot and we had a 
long way to go. On this part of the journey we were treated to two 
blowouts and had no extra tire along. This, of course, added interest 
and zest to the trip. The north side of the mountain is of granite for- 
mation. Descending this grade and passing Lake Lebec we entered the 
Tejon Pass, one of the most beautiful places in the entire trip. It is 
well wooded with oaks and box-elder and we here first came upon the 
California Buckeye, AescuUis calif ornica Nutt., which was in full 
bloom. The wild grape vines were also just in flower and added their 
part to the general beauty of the scene. 
Coming out of the Tejon Pass down what is known as the 
Grapevine, on account of its many turns and twists, we entered upon 
the longest stretch of straight road I have seen for many a day. It 
lay like a ribbon across the landscape and seemed to have no turn as far 
as the eye could see. This portion of the way was dry and hot and 
we were glad when we reached Bakersfield, where we found some of 
the best buttermilk that ever was. After crossing the Kern River we 
struck the most disagreeable part of the journey. The wind seemed 
to come out of a furnace and fairly scorched the skin. I noticed long 
lines of birds in the shade of the telegraph poles with their wings held 
away from their bodies and their beaks wide open, panting for 
breath. But even the unpleasant things have an end and about sunset 
we reached my father's ranch at Ducor. Here we rested over Sunday. 
Monday morning, bright and early, we started for the mountains. 
For about seven miles the road runs due east from Ducor over a 
gently undulating plain which becomes more and more rolling as the 
hills are approached. Reaching the hills it winds through a park-like 
country dotted with good sized oak trees and abounding in large 
boulders, if such large rocks can be called by that name. There is an 
excellent auto road to and beyond California Hot Springs. Our des- 
