GENEEAL REPOET. 
xxvii 
ceeding 10 or 15 feet in height, and confined to a belt of about 2,000 feet 
in width between the altitudes of 5,000 and 7,000 feet above the sea. In 
the principal ranges the Mountain Mahogany, Cercocarpus ledifoUus^ is also 
of frequent occurrence, but limited to an elevation of 6,000 to 8,000 feet. 
This too is only a small tree, very rarely 40° high, perferring the rocky 
ridges and dry mountain sides. On the stream banks iu the upper carious 
the Quaking Asp," Fopulus tremuloides^ is usually found, mostly small, but 
sometimes growing sufficiently large to answer for telegra[)h poles. Tii ihe 
Shoshone Mountains the Willow-leaved Poplar, Pojmlus hiJsnmijent, \m\ 
angustifoUa, was first met with and occurs abundantly in some canons of 
the higher portion of the East Humboldt range, l)ecoming a handsome tree 
GO feet high. In the Washoe Mountains in connuon with the rest of the 
Sierras there is a heavy growth of several species of conifers, of which Finns 
ponderosa extends down to the very base or even on to the valley slopes. A 
few scattered trees of the same species were also seen on the northern part 
of the Virginia Mountains, but for more than a hundred miles to the east- 
ward other Coniferce than the Nut Pine and Juniper already mentioned 
appear to be wholly wanting. In the southern Toyabe Mountains some 
• pines and firs are found, probably the same species as those of the East 
Humboldt range. Here Pinus Jlexilis was met with in considerable numbers 
in the canons, ranging from near the base to the higher divides and slopes, 
where also were a few specimens of P. Bal/ouriana, while in some of tlic 
hitrh western canons there is a dense growth of Abies EngehnannL The 
last is probably the tree which gives its name to the White Pine District. 
On these mountains the alpine form of Juniperus co7nmunis occun-cd for the 
first time, and also J. Virginlana, of more slender and sliaighter ha])il than 
J. occidentalis and preferring more shaded and damper localliics. In the 
Goose Creek Mountains Ahies grandls was found occupying some of the 
moister canons, which completr-s list (»rtlic known trees of these central 
mountain ranges. 
But in no case do these species cover more lhan very limited portions 
of the mountains, within the canons, mostly much scattered, and prol)a1)ly 
never exceeding 40 or 50 feet in height. For the most part also they have 
been of exceedingly slow growth, are veiy knotty and cross-grained and 
make but poor timber. This is especially true of the pines. An extreme 
instance of the contortion that is occasionally seen in most of these species 
