40 Postelsia 
mation and perpetuation of forests, copious 
rainfall and sufficiently high temperature, both 
obtain on the west coast. The greatest density 
is: attained in the lower reaches of the river 
valleys and along the lower slopes fronting the 
sea. Towards the higher interior, the density 
decreases. The same is also true of the low hills 
around Victoria and from thence up the west 
coast some 4o-60 kilometers. In most places 
of Renfrew district the forest stands yet in its 
primeval grandeur, only here and there has the 
woodsman’s ax made imprints. The possibil- 
ities of ravages by fire are well nigh precluded, 
and the evidences of undisturbed growth through 
long periods of time are everywhere apparent. 
It is not an uncommon sight to find trees three 
to five feet in diameter growing upon some fall- 
en giant cedar of even greater dimensions, the 
combined ages of the two undoubtedly encom- 
passing many hundred years. <A large number 
of phenomena of this character observable in 
these forests is to be ascribed to the great and 
ever present amount of moisture and to the un- 
iformity of temperature. Considering the for- 
