ACROSS THE CHINO-THIBETAN BORDERLAND 197 



Yet it was not out of love for our quarters that I stayed 

 over a day at Kuei-yung, but to photograph various trees and 

 investigate the Conifers. Photography in the forests is no 

 mere pastime. It took over an hour on three occasions clearing 

 away brushwood and branches so as to admit of a clear view 

 of the trunk of the subject. I secured a dozen photographs, 

 which entailed a hard day's work. The trees of Larch and 

 other Conifers, Birch, and Poplar are very fine. The Larch 

 (L. Potaninii), though not plentiful, is of great size, and trees 

 100 feet by 12 feet in girth occur. But the most astonishing 

 feature of these forests is the large trees of Sallowthorn 

 {HippophS salicifolia). I had never imagined it could attain 

 to the size of specimens I saw during the day. I photographed 

 two old trees 50 feet tall, 12 and 15 feet in girth respectively. 

 I saw others taller but less in girth. Another interesting tree 

 hereabouts is a Cherry {Prunus serrula, var. tihetica), which 

 has a short, very thick trunk, and wide-spreading head. The 

 leaves are willow-like, 3 to 4 inches long ; the fruit is red, 

 ovoid, on pendulous stalks. The tree averages about 30 feet 

 in height, the head being 60 feet and more through. 



The next morning we bade farewell to our cheery hostess 

 at Kuei-yung, and continued our journey. The road immedi- 

 ately plunges into the forest, and winds through and among 

 magnificent timber. The forests are very fine, and coniferous 

 trees 100 to 150 feet tall, with a girth of 12 to 18 feet, are quite 

 common. The latter consist of four species of Spruce, three 

 of Silver Fir and one of Larch. The handsomest of the Silver 

 Firs is Ahies squamata, which has purplish-brown bark, ex- 

 fohating like the bark of the River Birch. The Larch becomes 

 general in the ascent, and ultimately overtops all other trees 

 and extends to the tree-limit. White and Red Birch, Poplar 

 and Sallowthorn are the only broad-leaved deciduous trees 

 really common. An Evergreen Oak {Quercus Ilex, var. rufescens) , 

 with prickly leaves like a Holly, is abundant. In the shelter 

 of the forests this Oak makes a good-sized tree, but in the 

 more exposed places it is reduced to a small shrub. The wood 

 is very hard and makes the finest of charcoal. Shrubs are not 

 rich in variety, but Bush Honeysuckles, Barberries, Spiraeas, 

 and Clematis are plentiful. Herbs, especially the Sikhim 



