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XXIV. Descriptions of Five new Species of the deme discovered by 
Dr. Courter in California. By Mr. Davip Don, Libr. L.S. 
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Read June 2nd, 1835. 
THE accession of new species which this highly important genus has received 
of late years, by the labours of Mr. Douglas, Dr. Wallich, and others, affords 
a striking example of the superior intelligence and zeal with which scientific 
researches in distant countries are prosecuted in our times. Mr. Douglas’s 
travels in the North-west regions of the American continent has made us 
acquainted with seven new species of this genus, some of which are remark- 
able for their vast size. So large an addition to these giants of the forest from 
one quarter was scarcely to have been looked for, but the soil and climate of 
those regions, especially the western flanks of the northern Andes, and the 
extensive parallel ranges of mountains which extend from south to north 
through California, appear to be peculiarly favourable to the development and 
growth of the Fir tribe: for notwithstanding the successful labours of my 
lamented friend Mr. Douglas, already mentioned, I have to record in this 
paper five more species collected in the same countries by my learned and 
indefatigable friend Dr. Coulter, whom a zeal for the advancement of science 
has led him to devote ten years to the investigation of the natural history of 
Mexico and California. In the latter country he spent nearly three years, 
and having visited regions unexplored by Mr. Douglas, many new species 
have been added to those already made known by that enterprising botanist, 
and among them the five species of Pinus already noticed. 
As but a very small proportion of the mountainous parts of that interesting 
country has been explored, it may be reasonably inferred that many new spe- 
cies of hardy trees, and especially of the Fir tribe, still remain to recompense 
the labours of some future botanist. 
I shall now proceed to lay before the Society the descriptions of the five 
