( 7' ) 



forefts, confifting intirely of birch. The foil 

 in fome parts of thefe waftes being very fhal- 

 low, or very loofe, the trees had not a fuf- 

 ficient footing for their roots, and became an 

 eafy prey to winds. In thefe places Maupertuis 

 found as many trees blown down, as (landing. 

 He examined feveral of them, and was fur- 

 prized to fee that in fuch as had lain long, the 

 fubftance of of the wood was intirely gone $ 

 but the bark remained a hollow trunk without 

 any figns of decay. I have heard, that the 

 bark of the black cherry-tree in North America, 

 which grows there to a great lize, has the fame 

 property. 



Among elegant, pendent trees, the acacia 

 mould not be forgotten - y tho the acacia, which 

 we have in England, (called by the botanifb, 

 the robinia) is perhaps only a poor fubftitute 

 of this plant in it's greateft perfection. And 

 yet even ours, when we have it full grown, is 

 often a very beautiful tree, whether it feathers 

 to the ground, as it fometimes does \ or 

 whether it is adorned with a light foliage 

 hanging from the ftem. But it's beauty is 

 very frail. It is of all trees the leaft able to 

 endure the blaft. In fome fheltered fpot, it 

 may ornament a garden j but it is by no -means; 

 F 4 qualified 



