269 
superne ciliolatae. Paleac lineari-oblongae, 6-8 mm. longae, 
albidae, in apice ipso ciliatae et in carinis superne ciliato-asperae. 
Lodiculae 3, tenuissimae, hyalinae, ovatae, apice fimbriatae, inter- 
media minor. Antherae albae, 5 mm. longae. Ovarium oblongum, 
subito in stylum brevem constrictum, stigmatibus 2 fere a basi 
plumosis ad 3 mm. longis. 
TROPICAL AMERICA. . 
Communicated by Messrs. Sander & Sons, Bruges, 3rd May, 
1912. 
XLV.—VISIT TO THE FORESTS OF SWITZERLAND. 
W. DavuimMoge. 
By permission of the Director I was enabled to take part in a tour 
organised by the Royal Scottish Arboricultural Society in conjunc- 
tion with the Swiss forestry officials, to the forests of Switzerland, 
during the latter part of July, and the following notes indicate the 
more interesting items observed, 
e areas selected for inspection were chosen by the Swiss 
forestry officials with a view to directing attention to as many 
distinct features as possible in the time at our disposal. The 
principal districts visited were in the neighbourhood of Interlaken, 
Bri “uri hur, St. Moritz and Thusis. Three Federal 
Inspectors of Forests, Dr. Fankhauser, Mr. Schonenberger and 
Mr. Merz, were deputed to take charge of the party over different 
areas, and in each district one or more of the chief foresters attended 
to explain the working methods. In addition Mr. Pulfer, the First 
Commissioner of Woods and Forests, accompanied the party during 
the early part of the tour and Dr. Arnold, one of Switzerland’s most 
eminent forestry officials, took charge during the visit to Winterthur. 
The party was joined on the last three days by Dr. J. Coaz, the 
Inspector-General of Forests for Switzerland who, despite the fact 
that he is in his ninety-second year, is able to undertake a tramp of 
several hours with little inconvenience. 
he ownership of the forests appears to be somewhat involved, 
for some are owned by the Federal Government, others by individual 
states or cantons, others by towns or local communities and others 
again are in the hands of private owners. All, however, are 
subject to periodical inspection by Government Inspectors, in order 
to ensure correct methods of management, for in many places not 
only is a rigorous continuity of the forest system essential to provide 
the necessary amount of timber required for fuel and manufacturing 
purposes, but the existence and prosperity of numerous towns and 
villages, together with the lives of the inhabitants, depend almost 
entirely. upon the steep mountain sides being clothed with trees. 
Wherever bare mountain sides occur there is constant danger from 
landslides and avalanches, but where they are well clothed such 
catastrophes are rare. ns, 
~ On the lower land the activities of the forest officers are concerned 
mainly with the cutting and marketing of timber, the regeneration 
of cut areas and road making, but in the more mountainous regions 
a considerable portion of their attention is directed towards the 
fixing ‘of land on steep slopes, the provision of barriers to check or 
