206 Foreign Notices : — Spain. 



could obtain no certain infoi'raation of its history : most probably it came from 

 Paris. 



" The republic of Andorre occupies a wild and alpine valley opposite to 

 that of the Arriege, the waters falling to the side of Catalonia, and joining 

 those of the Segre. The lofty ranges which bound this valley are clothed 

 with P. uncinata, and, alone in the Pyrenees, it resembles those of Switzer- 

 land, the lower part being covered with walnuts and other deciduous trees, 

 and the upper parts with continuous masses of dark pine of this species. 



" The Rhododendron ferrugineum grows in the valley in prodigious quantities, 

 attesting its elevated situation ; and in the high pastures, above the trees, is 

 the habitat of the beautiful Gentidna pyrenaica, and other rare plants. These 

 are the sites where this species is now found ; and I conceive it has never been 

 much extended beyond the Arriege to the east, and the Lac de Gaube and its 

 district to the west, being replaced by the silver fir and Scotch pine, as the 

 chain respectively declines in height to its flanks. It is found both on the 

 primary and secondary formations ; and I am not aware of any difference in its 

 growth, in these different soils, 



" Vimis pz/rendica. — We now proceed to the P. pyrenaica of La Peyrouse, 

 which grows at the foot of the chain, immediately opposite the highest range, 

 and at an elevation, probably, from 2000 ft. to 4000 ft. La Peyrouse had 

 never seen these trees; but described them, as I have been informed, from 

 the reports of others, who brought the cones and branches to him, conse- 

 quently the original description in the work is quite erroneous. That in the 

 supplement is, however, extremely accurate. I believe M. la Peyrouse was 

 indebted for his information respecting this tree, and many plants of the 

 southern side of the Pyrenees, to M. Paul Boileau, now maire of Bagneres 

 de Luchon. The foliage is of a light grass green, quite unlike any other 

 European species. The spicula are very long, and of free growth. The tree 

 is of elegant and noble form, and more resembles those of southern chmates 

 than most of the European sorts. The cones are of a light reddish green, and 

 the seed is enclosed in a thin shell. The wood is not bad, but is of much in- 

 ferior value to the other kinds which grow above it. I visited the place where 

 these trees commence to appear, in the autumn of 1829, and procured some 

 cones, as well as some from the trees in the garden of M. la Peyrouse, near 

 Toulouse (now in the possession of his son, to whom I was indebted for them), 

 where the trees planted about thirty years since are now of large size. On 

 observing the real habitat of this tree, the impropriety of the name is evident ; 

 but subsequent observations will show that it has a much wider range, and 

 ought to have a different denomination. There are other species mentioned 

 in the list of La Peyrouse ; but, in the various tours I made in the Pyrenees, 

 I never met with any other than the three species above mentioned. 



" The P. pumi/io I believe to be only the stunted uncinata at a great 

 elevation. 

 * " A^bies communis and \,drix europce'a. — Neither the spruce nor larch 

 (J^bies communis and Larix europse^a) exists in the Pyrenees, nor, I firmly 

 believe, in any part of Spain. A contrary opinion is held in the country 

 respecting the larch ; but, after much enquiry and observation, I am quite satis- 

 fied that the real larch neither exists, nor has existed, in Spain. The word 

 alerce certainly would appear to be connected with Z/arix ; but even if the 

 Arab derivation, mentioned as traced by Mr. Drummond in the account of 

 Cordova, were incorrect, which there is no reason to suppose, words do not 

 prove the existence or identity of species. The practice of Spain alone, where 

 the same words are applied to different trees in almost every province, would 

 prove the fallacy of depending on etymology to solve questions of natural 

 history. 



" The Oaks on the north side of the Pyrenees are, the 726bur, of both kinds ; 

 the Toza, or Taiizin, and its variety the pubescens ; the curious variety, the 

 fastigiata, or cypress oak, which is found in the route to Gavarnie ; and ano- 

 ther variety of which I am ignorant of the name, the acorns having failed. It 



