418 The Genus Araucaria. 



found sticking to them and lying about the roots. These trees 

 shoot out their branches like all other pines, with this differ- 

 ence, that the branches of these are much smaller and shorter, 

 so that the knots become nothing when the tree is wrought for 

 use. I took notice that the largest of them had the smallest 

 and shortest branches, and were crowned, as it were, at the 

 top by a spreading branch like a bush. This was what led 

 some on board into the extravagant notion of their being 

 basalts, indeed, no one could think of finding such trees here/* 

 This island was afterwards named by Captain Cook the Isle 

 of Pines. We do not know whether at the time we write the 

 particular tree that first attracted Captain Cook's attention 

 ninety years since is still standing, but in 1850 it was reported 

 to be "in a flourishing condition," and was said to exactly 

 resemble " a well-proportioned factory chimney of great height." 

 From the peculiarity of the foliage and general habit of Arau- 

 carias, and more especially of A. columnaris, it is certainly a 

 matter of no wonder that all on board the " Resolution " were 

 surprised and astonished upon first beholding so novel and 

 beautiful a scene. There is, perhaps, no one family of plants 

 more interesting than that to which the Araucarias belong 

 (the Coniferce), and it is certain of all the timber trees none 

 have produced so much interest among botanists as the Arau- 

 carias. And there are many reasons for this, for if we except 

 the Mammoth tree of California, the Araucarias take a position 

 among the largest and most majestic forest trees. 



To Captain Cook and his fellow-travellers, then, are we in- 

 debted for the first accurate general account of A. columnaris, 

 though it had been previously mentioned by several authors, but 

 under other names. 



The Araucarias, which take their rank as the noblest of all 

 that noble family of trees, the Conifers, are now confined to 

 the Southern hemisphere ; but there is evidence that would 

 lead us to suppose that at one time they held a footing even in 

 our own island. Geologists, and notably poor Hugh Miller, 

 speak with confidence of having found fossil Araucaria stems. 

 The microscopic structure of the wood corresponds very closely 

 with that of the recent Araucarias. The remains of one found 

 in the Lias of Dorsetshire have been figured and described 

 under the name of A. primceva. There are some seven or 

 eight species of the genus now known to botanists, and these 

 are natives of Brazil, Chili, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, 

 Australia, etc. Some of them have been only recently intro- 

 duced to our gardens, others have been cultivated for many 

 years. A few particulars concerning them may not be without 

 interest to the readers of this magazine. The name of the 

 genus is derived from that of a tribe of natives called Arau- 



