THE TWENTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL EXCURSION. 7 I 



severe gales. M. Ingold, Inspecteur des Eaux et Forets, 

 Gerardmer, conducted the party over the forests, and explained 

 their working, etc.; and Professor Henry, who had taken part in 

 the whole Excursion up to this time, gave an interesting resume 

 of the character, management, etc., of all the forests which had 

 been visited in the course of the tour. After lunch, Professor 

 Henry bade the party good-bye, and returned to Nancy; and in 

 the afternoon a visit was paid to the Hohneck, an eminence of 

 4480 feet above sea-level, across which runs the Franco-German 

 frontier line. From the summit of the Hohneck magnificent 

 views are obtained, but owing to haze the Schwarzwald, which is 

 seen in clear weather, could not be discerned. The Hohneck 

 is reached by tramway, partly steam and partly electric ; and as 

 the ascent was made, it was interesting to observe the change 

 which took place in the character of the forest vegetation, one 

 striking feature of it being that the beech reaches to a higher 

 limit than the spruce, and that it grows, though somewhat 

 stunted, up to an elevation of over 3000 feet. 



Leaving Gerardmer on the morning of Saturday, 30th July, 

 the party journeyed to Paris by way of Nancy. The weather 

 had now become hot, and throughout the remainder of the 

 tour it remained so, the thermometer ranging from 90° to 95° 

 Fahr. in the shade in Paris during the following week. Sunday 

 was spent in Paris, and on the following day the fine beech and 

 other forests at Villers Cotterets were visited, as well as the 

 saw-mills and the North of France Railway Sleeper Works in the 

 vicinity of the town. M. Sainte-Claire Deville, Conservateur des 

 Eaux et Forets, Amiens, and M. Gibert, Inspecteur des Eaux et 

 Forets, Villers Cotterets, conducted the party through the forests, 

 and the latter explained the method of management, etc. 



Tuesday, 2nd August, was spent at Compi^gne, and here the 

 party saw forest management on more familiar lines — forestry 

 and sport, as is so often the case at home, being combined, but 

 both yielding a good return. The Mayor of the town met and 

 welcomed the party on arrival, and later he rejoined them at lunch. 

 After an inspection of the fine old palace, the party repaired to 

 the forest. M. Liddet, Conservateur des Eaux et Forets, Paris, 

 and M. Pieffer, Inspecteur des Eaux et Forets, Compi^gne, 

 accompanied the party, and the latter supplied all the information 

 as to management, etc. Lunch was served in the open at 

 Pierrefonds, and here the healths of King Edward and 



