?4 THE CONDOR I VoL. VIII Near the coast (within half a mile of the shore) the redwoods are reduced in numbers and size and the few growing at the canyon mouths are greatly gnarled and weather-beaten, being actually reduced in some cases to shrubs, growing close together, their matted tops presenting an even surface to the wind, and in other cases to scrawny trees with the side toward the ocean devoid of foliage. Farther back from the shore are dense groves of the fine large trees, extending up the bottoms and south sides of the canyons or those sides which do not receive the direct rays of the afternoon sun. A few redwoods straggle beyond these limits to higher altitudes but only on streams of running water, and were not found to reach the summit of the first ridge of the coast range. That the redwoods do not grow as far inland as they do north of Monterey is no doubt due tothe difference in latitude and to the greater height of these south- ern mountains which more effectually cuts off fog and rain from the interior and also to the character of these mountains which are steeper and rockier, thus shedding the rain quicker. Above the redwood groves there was generally a belt of California lilac (Ceanolhus thyrsijqorus) and then a dense growth of brake (Pieris aquilina var. lanugenosa), thimble-berry (Rubus parvijqorus), blue lupine (Lupinus alb?frons) and monkey-flower (Diplacusglulinosus), while on the opposite side of the canyon an assemblage of plants suited to the more arid conditions was found. Chief of such plants were old man brush (,4rtemisia californica), sage (,4udibertia slachyoides) and Baccharis pilulars, with chamisal (,4denostomafasciculatum) at higher elevations. The ridges and hill-tops were generally devoid of trees or shrubs, making excel- lent pasturage at this time of year. Outside of the main canyons, the steep slopes were covered, up to a thousand feet above the sea-level, with a variety of brush and above this the exposed slopes were barren. This belt of brush was evidently dependent on the fogs, which rose only to about a thousand feet on many mornings of our trip, and was composed mainly of sage, old man brush, yellow lupine (Lupinus arboreus), and some Cali- fornia lilac, blue lupine, monkey-flower and Baccharis pilularis. Other notable plants in the coast region were: The California laurel (Umbel- halaria cahfornic?), associating mostly with the redwoods but found scattered on certain wind-swept hillsides in a dwarfed condition; tan-bark oak (Quercus densi/gora), also associating with the redwoods in considerable numbers; buckthorn (Rhamnus crocea), found constituting a great part of the chaparral between Spruce Creek and San Carpojo; and the Spanish bayonet (Yucca whippleyi) which grew very abund- antly on the high rocky mountain ridges. Also growing in suitable localities were: Poison-oak (Rhus diversiloba), coffee berry (Rhamnus californica), maple (Acer macrophyllum), willow (Salix lasolepis), sycamore (Platanus racemosa), alder (,41nus rhombtfolia), Christmas berry (tteter- omeles arbuli]Colia), and blackberry ( Rubus viitroilus). The Douglas spruce (Pseudotsuga .taxzfolia), a rather characteristic tree of the northern humid coast belt, was entirely absent from all points except on Spruce and Ralston Creeks where a few trees seemed to flourish well. Pines were often seen from a distance on the mountain ridges and extending down a short ways on the western side. The yellow pine (Pinusponderosa) was identified on the ridge above Parting- ton canyon and on the headwaters of Big Creek and of Spruce Creek; the big-cone pine (Pinus coulteri) was noted at Partington's and on the headwaters of Big Creek, and the digger pine (]?inus sabiniana) on the high ridges between Spruce Creek and Mr. Mars.
