Introduction 
3 
prominent hill produced without the 
help of man is a monument of nature 
Moreover, examples of beautiful scen- 
ery, characteristic soil-formations, in- 
teresting associations of plants and 
animals, and rare species of the indi- 
genous flora and fauna may all be 
classed as monuments of nature. A 
virgin soil-formation, however, is not 
often to be found in densely populated 
countries, most portions of which have 
been under cultivation for many cen- 
turies. For that reason the term 
''natural monument" is occasionally 
used in a broader sense. 
It may also be mentioned that 
old big trees had been spoken of as 
monuments de la nature " by Hum- 
boldt^ ninety years ago, but latterly 
the term has fallen into disuse. 
^ Humboldt, A. de. Voyage aux regions dqui- 
noxiales. Tome n. Paris, 1819, p. $9. 
I — 2 
