572 FROM NORTH POLE TO EQUATOR. 



the foliage of the trees to hide the sun, then from the highest branches let 

 fall the ends of the cables reaching near to the ground hj hundreds with 

 frayed extremities, for these represent the air roots of the epiphytes; let 

 slender cords hang down also in tassels with open thr-eadwork at the 

 ends. Work others through and through as confusedly as possible, and 

 pendent from branch to branch — with absolute disregard of material, and 

 at every fork and on every horizontal branch plant cabbage-like lichens 

 of the largest kind, and broad spear-leaved plants — these would represent 

 the elephant- eared plant — and orchids and clusters of vegetable marvels, 

 and a drapery of delicate ferns which abound. Now cover tree, branch, 

 twig, and creeper with a thick moss like a green fur." 



He goes on to describe the rush of life to fill up each gap — the struggle 

 for existence — the crowding, crushing, and strangling — the death and 

 disease. 



" To complete the mental picture of this ruthless forest, the gi-ound 

 should be strewn thickly with half-formed humus of rotting twigs, leaves, 

 branches ; every few yards there should be a prostrate giant, a reeking 

 compost of rotten fibres, and departed generations of insects, and colonies 

 of ants, half veiled with masses of vines and shrouded by the leafage of a 

 multitude of baby saplings, lengthy briars and calamus in many fathom 

 lengths, and every mile or so there should be muddy streams, stagnant 

 creeks, and shallow pools, green with duckweed, leaves of lotus and lilies, 

 and a greasy green scum composed of millions of finite growths." 



Note 29, p. 126. — Appearance of Decay in the Forests. 



A closely similar picture is' given by Mr. E. N. Buxton in recounting a 

 journey in the Rooky Mountains. He says : " This bane of pack-trains is 

 caused by forest fires, which have burnt out the life of the trees, leaving 

 only gaunt stems and blackened ground, followed by tempests which have 

 whirled these tottering giants in heaps to the ground. In places the 

 stems lie parallel to one another, and piled to the height of many feet as 

 though they had been laid in sheaves. Elsewhere, while some have 

 stood the shock and are still erect, their neighbours lie prone at every 

 conceivable angle to one another, and their branches pierce the air as 

 weathered snags. This ghastly waste, whether brought about by natural 

 causes, or the recklessness of man, will have to be paid for some day, for 

 are we not within measurable distance of the inevitable world-wide 

 timber-famine" (E. N. Buxton, Short Stalks, 1893). 



See also Rodway's In the Guiana Forest (London, 1895), and article 

 "Death in the Forest" {Natural Science, Sept., 1892). 



Note 30, p. \V,^.— Taiga. 



"A strip of Alpine region, 100-150 miles in breadth, consisting of 

 separate mountain-chains whose peaks rise from 4800-6500 feet above 

 sea-level, and beyond the limits of forest vegetation." According to 



