48 ERYTHEA. 



could only be compared to a park which had originally been 

 closely planted with the true old English oak. The under- 

 wood that had probably attended its early growth had the 

 appearance of having been cleared away, and had left the 

 stately lords of the forest in complete possession of the soil. 

 This was covered with luxuriant herbage, and beautifully 

 diversified with pleasing eminences and valleys; which, with 

 the range of lofty rugged mountains that bounded the pros- 

 pect, required only to be adorned with the neat habitations 

 of an industrious people to produce a scence not inferior to 

 the most studied effect of taste in the disposal of grounds-" 



(R 17, vol. ii). 



To the oaks he makes still more definite allusion further 



on in his journal, where he discusses the economy of life at 

 the mission Santa Clara. " Here," he relates, " were 

 planted peaches, apricots, pears, figs and vines, all of which, 

 excepting the latter, promised to succeed very w^elL The 

 failure of the vines here, as well as at San Francisco, is 

 ascribed to a want of knowledge in their culture; the soil 

 and climate being well adapted to most sorts of fruit Of 

 this we had many evidences in the excellence of its natural 

 unassisted productions. In this country the oak, as timber, 

 appears to take the lead. A tree of this description near the 

 establishment measured fifteen feet in girth and was high in 

 proportion, but was not considered by the fathers as of extra- 

 ordinary size; and I am convinced that on our journey we 

 passed several oaks of greater magnitude. The timber of 

 these trees is reported to be equal in quality to any produced 

 in Europe;" 



SOME CITATIONS NEEDING CORRECTION. 



By J. BuKTT Davt. 



In the Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and 

 Sciences, vol. xxii, p. 474 (issued 25 June, 1887), Dr. Watson 

 published a new name — Peiicedanum Kingii — for the plant 



