410 Dr Christison on Increase in Girth of Trees, [sess. liii. 



unless in such cases an even larger amount of shrinkage or 

 loss takes place in the old wood or in the bark, it is evident 

 that no room can be left for the deposit of new rings. 

 Such decrease may have occurred either by imperceptible 

 wearing away on the surface, or by an internal shrinkage 

 from enfeebled vitality, but in the instances given, there was 

 no visible loss in the smooth, regular, closely-fitting bark. 



11. Can any reliable estimate of the age of very old trees 

 be made by means of measurement ? Certainly not in the 

 case of trees which have long ceased to make appreciable 

 increase in girth, or which are in a ruinous state from decay, 

 and perhaps with difficulty even in the case of gnarled 

 stems of ancient trees which are still apparently vigorous. 

 But in the latter instances we may at least be enabled to 

 say that they need not exceed a certain age, and thus check 

 that tendency to exaggerate the antiquity of trees of extra- 

 ordinary magnitude, which is very naturally fostered in our 

 minds by our incapacity to appreciate by the eye their in- 

 crease from year to year. As experiments which I have 

 instituted on this subject are incomplete, I shall postpone its 

 consideration until a future occasion. 



Notes on some of the Jiarer Plants found on the Dovrcfjeld, 

 Norway, in July 1888. By George Bird. 



(K(!;id 13tli Decoinl)cr 1888.) 



During a short tour in Norway this siuumer, I had the 

 opportunity of making several excursions in search of alpine 

 plants, and these notes are intended to call attention to some 

 of the rarer species met witli on the Dovrcfjeld. 1 had in 

 1887 visited tlie western coast of Norway, in the neighbour- 

 hood of the Hardanger, with the view of foiiuing an acquaint- 

 ance with the flora, so far as this could be dcme in a limited 

 time. In the, p];ints which came under my notice then, 

 there was an alwence of many alpine species one would have 

 expected to find in a country so far north. It was therefore 

 with considcraljle expectation that I looked forward to 

 exj>]oring some of the nunintains in a more northern part of 

 Norway, wliere the alpine liora is better represented. 



The Dovrcfjeld range has long enjoyed the reputation of 



