is FORtisTfeY OF NORWAY. 



excepted the trees wear a different aspect. The moun- 

 tain slopes are, perhaps, rather less thickly timbered, and 

 the trees consequently get more light, air, and breathing 

 space ; but, however this may be, the individual trees show 

 a healthier growth and far more abundant leafage. Again 

 and again, when riding along a dim trail in Californian 

 forest country, I have reined in my horse to gaze in silent 

 admiration at matchless specimens of spruce and silver 

 fir, far exceeding a hundred feet in altitude, and yet 

 preserving a profuse leafage from butt to summit, the 

 lower branches, decorously sweeping the ground, being as 

 green and luxuriant as the tiny twigs far aloft in the sun- 

 light, and each tree being absolutely perfect in symmetry, 

 and one of the most beautiful of Nature's creations in 

 point of elegance of outline and tracery of foliage. Very 

 probably the shallowness of the soil all over Norway, 

 except in the alluvial valleys, will account for this compara- 

 tive sparseness of foliage ; for it is far more noticeable on 

 the higher ground, many of the trees in the ravines and 

 valleys, when the soil is deeper and the situation less 

 exposed, being of very luxuriant growth. Other species 

 of pine and fir are rarely met with, though I found the 

 silver fir growing well in numerous clumps between Eide 

 and Vossevangen to the north of Hardanger fiord. Beech, 

 oak, and elm, grow fairly in places, but cannot be classed 

 among Norweigan forest trees : they are mainly to be 

 found near the towns, and especially in the environs of 

 Christiania and Bergen. In Northern Norway these 

 species are unknown. The birch is found in almost every 

 district, as also the mountain ash, and the alder and 

 aspen grow freely in the valleys. 



'The sylvan scenery of the lightly-timbered lowland 

 valleys can hardly be surpassed in point of variety of 

 detail, brilliancy of colouring, and tranquil loveliness. 

 The valley which trends north-east from Vossevangen to 

 Stalheim, at the head of the world-famous Nserodal, 

 affords on a fine day in autumn an exquisite series of 

 views of this character. The road, terraced along the 



