#7. 75.] TO A. DE CANDOLLE. 783 
What do I call an alpine plant? Why, one that 
has its habitat above the limit of trees — mainly — 
though it may run down lower along streams. But 
ina dry region, where forest has no fair chance, we 
might need to mend the definition. 
Upon your paper, I got a few notes — offhand, by 
references. 
I premise that in New England we have two places 
where several alpine plants are stranded at lower 
levels than they ought, peculiar conditions of configu- 
ration and shelter having preserved them, while the 
exposed higher grounds have lost them. They are 
Willoughby Mountain and the Notch of Mt. Mans- 
field, Vermont. 
As to your III. Of the whole list of alpine 
plants of Oregon and northward and not of Cali- 
fornia, I can put my hand upon only two that are yet 
known in California, viz., Armania verna and Vac- 
cinium cespitosum, which comes in its var. arbuscula 
only. 
There is a great lack of alpine arctic plants in Cali- 
fornia. First, because there is not much place for 
them now; secondly, because there have been such 
terrible and vast voleanic deposits —lava and ashes 
— that they must have been all killed out. 
But for all these matters we shall one of these days 
have fuller and surer data — after my day. Well, I 
must stop. ... 
TO A. DE CANDOLLE. 
CAMBRIDGE, June 29, 1886. 
My pear De Canpouie, — Your letter and in- 
closure of the 15th inst. gave me much pleasure. 
Not only had I a natural curiosity to know more of 
