GLASGOW SOCIETY OF FIELD NATURALISTS. 79 



The features that would strike a visitor from this country most 

 upon landing (say at Valparaiso) would be the absence of sward, 

 the abundance of bushes, and the presence of canes and palms. 

 There was forest once (as at present in South Chile), but owing to 

 the great destruction of wood, chiefly the Espino, for charcoal — 

 the discovery and use of coal being of comparatively recent date 

 there — trees are scarce, indeed absent, in North Chile, and the in- 

 habitants have to grub up the roots of once-existing trees for fuel ; 

 even bushes disappear near towns. Before the Spanish Conquest 

 the whole country is said to have been a forest. Another feature, 

 not so evident, however, at the first glance, is that all the woody 

 plants are evergreen, yet one of the most characteristic trees of 

 Central Chile, the Espino, is deciduous. The fig tree and the vine, 

 both thoroughly naturalized, are of course deciduous. Noticed 

 that the imported elm gets its leaves sooner and keeps them longer 

 than in Scotland. 



Mr. King then particularized the leading and characteristic 

 trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants of the country, from which the 

 following are selected : — 



Litre (Litrea venenosa) tree and shrub, common. Reputed to 

 possess poisonous properties, but could not verify. 



"Winter's Bark-ti-ee ( Drymis Winteri and Chilensis), common. 

 Named after Dr. Winter, who sailed in Drake's expedition, 1577, 

 and introduced the bai-k, for medicinal pui'poses, into Europe. It 

 is the sacred tree of the Araucanian Indians. 



Antarctic Beeches (Fagus obliqua, (i:c.J, Roble. 



Carbon (Cordia decandra), a tree once, a shrub now. Found in 

 the deserts of the north. It is the most ornamental wood of Chile. 



Espino (Acacia cavenia) ; which will be the hedge of the future, 

 at present cut branches are set face to face. It grows in arid 

 places away from streams. 



Avellano (Guevina avellana). The finest shrub of Chile; 

 Habitat — South Chile. It might be acclimatized here like the 

 Fuchsia. 



Peumo ( Cryptocaria peumos ) comes second in order of beauty as 

 an evergreen shrub. It is common, and the bark is used for 

 tanning. 



Copigue (L^pageria rosea), common in the south, is the most 

 beautiful flowering plant of Chile. It is an evergreen, woody 

 climber, with thick, fleshy, scarlet, bell-shaped flowers, 3 inches long. 



