302 Bibliography. 



Nuttall published in a still later number of the Transactions of the 

 American Philosophical Society. It is true that Endlicher, in his 

 second Supplement, has omitted the Engelmannia, as well as a few 

 other of the genera of Nuttall's paper ; but that is entirely his own 

 fault ; and the Engelmannia, Torr. & Gr, must undoubtedly retain that 

 name. A. Gr. 



5. The Botany of the Voyage of H. M. Ship Sulphur, under the 

 command of Capt. Sir Edward Belcher, R. N., (^c. during the years 

 1836-42. By Richard Brinsley Hinds, Surgeon R. N. attached to 

 the Expedition ; the Botanical descriptions by George Bentham, Esq. 

 No. 1. London, 1844. pp. 16, imp. 4to, with 10 plates. — Mr. Hinds 

 first notices the physical and phytostatical features of the coast of north- 

 west America, at least of the portion visited by the Sulphur in her 

 surveying voyage, extending from lat. 60° 21' to 46° 19'. As his re- 

 marks are brief, and just now particularly interesting on some accounts, 

 we cite them entire. 



" The whole territory" — that is, reaching south to the mouth of the 

 Oregon River — " though extensive, is remarkably uniform in its physical 

 character and natural productions. The climate is far more moderate 

 than on the eastern coast, not liable to those great vicissitudes, nor ever 

 known to display any great range of temperature. The number of rainy 

 days in the year is very great, and at Sitka only thirty seven really fine 

 clear days were recorded throughout this period. At this Russian set- 

 tlement, some extended observations gave the mean temperature of the 

 year as 45° 5', and the range as from 2° 3' to 81° 9'. The whole 

 country is bold and mountainous, intersected by deep and moist val- 

 leys, and is every where covered by a gloomy forest of spruce. These 

 vast forests offer a scene which powerfully arrests attention. The trees 

 are often of enormous dimensions, stretching upwards with scarcely a 

 branch to where the eye almost fails to follow them, with enormous 

 trunks very deceptive till brought within the scope of our experience 

 by the tape-line : beneath, a most luxuriant undergrowth everywhere 

 abounds, and has an exuberance and charm about it which is rarely 

 supposed to be possible beyond the tropics. But over these the influ- 

 ence of the moist climate is unceasing. It most probably hurries 

 through a rapid existence the more lowly shrubs, and its effect on the 

 trees is very marked. None are seen to attain any great age ; that is, 

 none have that appearance ; but when the vigor of life is past, they 

 rapidly yield to the constant influence of the moist atmosphere, soil, 

 and investment of mosses and lichens, and soon fall to the ground, 

 which in some places they occupy in great numbers. But, as is every 

 where observable where the climate is uniform, the variety of species 



