218 THE MOUNTAINS OF CALIFORNIA 



the young cones are of a strange, dull, blackish-blue 

 color, clustered on the upper branches. When ripe 

 they are from three to four inches long, yellowish 

 brown, resembling in every way those of the Moun 

 tain Pine. Excepting the Sugar Pine, no tree on 

 the mountains is so capable of individual expres 

 sion, while in grace of form and movement it con 

 stantly reminds one of the Hemlock Spruce. 



The largest specimen I measured was a little 

 over five feet in diameter and ninety feet in height, 

 but this is more than twice the ordinary size. 



This species is common throughout the Rocky 

 Mountains and most of the short ranges of the 

 Great Basin, where it is called the Fox-tail Pine, 

 from its long dense leaf -tassels. On the Hot Creek, 

 White Pine, and Golden Gate ranges it is quite 

 abundant. About a foot or eighteen inches of the 

 ends of the branches is densely packed with stiff 

 outstanding needles which radiate like an electric 

 fox or squirrel's tail. The needles have a glossy 

 polish, and the sunshine sifting through them makes 

 them burn with silvery luster, while their number 

 and elastic temper tell delightfully in the winds. 

 This tree is here still more original and picturesque 

 than in the Sierra, far surpassing not only its com 

 panion conifers in this respect, but also the most 

 noted of the lowland oaks. Some stand firmly erect, 

 feathered with radiant tassels down to the ground, 

 forming slender tapering towers of shining ver 

 dure ; others, with two or three specialized branches 

 pushed out at right angles to the trunk and densely 

 clad with tasseled sprays, take the form of beautiful 

 ornamental crosses. Again in the same woods you 



