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now trouble von with fome obfervatlons relative to 
the Pine commonly called the Scotch Fir, u’hicli 
certainly is not to be found in any part of England at 
prefent, except where the plantation appears moft 
evidently to be of modern date. 
Caefar, indeed, informs us, that no fort of fir was 
to be feen in this country at the time of his in- 
valion. 
It is well known that he made no very far ad-* 
vanced marches ; and his obfei vations are, perhaps, 
more to be depended upon with regard to military 
operations, than what might rather engage the atten- 
tion of a botanift. 
There are, however, fo many well-attefled fadls, 
both by Camden and others of firs being found at 
a very confiderable depth under the furface of the 
ground, that one cannot with-hold one’s afTent to 
them, extraordinary as it may appear at prefent, 
when throughout England we have no fuch trees, 
which afford the leaf! grounds to contend that they 
are of indigenous growth. 
If thefe indifputable fadfs could want the addition 
of my poor teflimony, I happened to fee near Loch 
Rannoch, and in other parts of the Elighlands of Scot- 
land, fubterraneous firs, which had been lately dug 
out. 
I procured a labourer to chip off fome parts of 
thefe trees, which fmelt moff flrongly refinous ; there 
could be no doubt therefore, from this circumflance, 
but that they were firs, as well as from the grain of 
* See Camden in Lancafhire, and Phil.Tranf. N° 67, where 
fuch fubterraneous firs are faid to be found in great quantities in 
the ifland of Axholm in Lincolnfliire. 
the 
