2 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTTSH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



recently in Strathtay and Speyside, has a distinct pendulous 

 and very graceful habit, and its leaves are somewhat triangular.^ 

 Both characters are distinct from the pubescent birch, which 

 also occurs, but is not pendulous and has rounded leaves. In 

 the Highland glens this birch-wood extends to a high altitude 

 (2000 feet sometimes), and as the oak is strictly limited to the 

 valley-bottoms it is seldom seen in the birch-wood. It seems 

 therefore probable, that the Highland birch-wood cannot be 

 regarded as a degenerate oak-wood, but is a type distinct in 

 itself. The undergrowth is generally grassy, and shows little 

 difference from the adjoining hill-grazings ; in the woods we 

 have examined, the canopy was open and sheep grazed freely 

 through them destroying any seedling trees or shrubs, hence 

 probably arose the pasture-like character of the ground- 

 vegetation. 



Pine-woods do not come within the scope of the " Woodlands 

 of England," because it is doubtful whether any native pine 

 occurs in England. In Scotland, pine-woods occur on non- 

 calcareous soils as a natural woodland distinct from the almost 

 universal plantation. Tradition has long held that the Black 

 Wood of Rannoch, portions of Rothiemurchus and other Spey- 

 side forests, and parts of Deeside, such as Ballochbuie Forest, 

 are directly descended from the primeval pine forests of 

 Caledonia. Recent visits to Rannoch and Speyside tend to 

 confirm this view, in our opinion. In both districts there are 

 trees of great age surrounded by a considerable area with trees 

 of all ages, thus confirming what one is told that no recent 

 planting has been done. The Scots pine is the dominant tree 

 more or less mixed with birch. The pines have a habit not 

 common in plantations ; they are pyramidal and retain the lower 

 branches to a late age, and the foliage is distinctly grey, a 

 feature mentioned by many foresters as peculiar to the true 

 Scots pine in contrast to the darker foliage of the planted form. 

 The ground-vegetation of these natural or semi-natural pine- 

 woods is very rank, probably the result of an open canopy. 

 Ling {Calluna), pink bell-heath {Erica Tetralix), blaeberry and 

 its relative the red-berried cowberry { Vaccinium Vitis-idaeus) are 

 in great profusion, and form high mounds over old tree-stumps. 

 In Rothiemurchus, juniper is abundant in open places, and at 



^ No attempt is made to give this variety a name, until more is known 

 about it. 



1 



