DECEMBER 27, 1910] Tur Oaks or Mount Apo 935 
The mossy forested or highest oak belt contains the 
least number of species. Q. sundaica Blm. is the most abun- 
dant of all the Quercus and Castanopsis species in the mount 
Apo region and is almost entirely confined to the upper 
belt and reaches the highest elevation or approximately 7250 
feet. Q. apoensis ulayan Elm. was found only once on a 
forested ridge of mount Calelan, a densely forested sister 
peak of the bald Apo and separated from it by the Sibulan 
river. Q. pseudo-molucca Bim., the finest of all our Philippine 
oak species, extends considerably into this belt. 
The natives make but very little use of these oaks. I have 
been told that in periods of famine the poorer classes of natives 
gather the fruit for part of their food. Wild pigs are plenti- 
ful and thrive on the acorns. The Bagobo, unlike the 
Moro, is a great hog eater, but keeps no domes- 
ticated pigs himself. The wild hogs furnish .the greater 
bulk of his meat diet, and he enjoys ensnaring them 
with his native made spear-traps or ‘‘Balatic’’ as it is called. 
Incidentally, the abundance of these dak fruits keep these 
forest roaming animals from their depradations in the plan. 
tation districts along the coast, In the higher elevations the oak 
bark is occasionally slabbed off for the construction of small 
very crude bark shelters. The slender sharp spines of the ripe 
fruits of Castanopsis javanica A. DC. proves a serious menace 
to the bare-footed native when he travels through the forests. 
The numerous needle-like spines on the burr average 0.75 
of an inch long. 
In general, most of the following enumerated species 
have their home in the rainy middle belt where they average the 
greatest stature and are most numerous in individuals. Yet such 
species as Q. zschokkei Elm., Q. tasystachya Miq., Q. caudatifolia 
Merr., Q. submonticola Elm., Q. apoensis Elm, and its variety were 
only seen and collected once during my six month’s exploration 
in that locality. The last three species were added to my 
collection just prior to my departure and were collected on 
a visiting trip to Talon, a Bagobo settlement south of mount 
Apo and on the general route across the mountains into 
the Cotabato valley. During May, June and July the 
greater number of species were in flower, while in 
August, September and October more species were gathered 
