THE TECHNOLOGIST. [Ado. 1, 18G5. 
6 THE « LINUS AUAUCA11IA. 
previous expedition to Chili, and transmitted by him to France, where 
falling into the hands of Lamarck and Jussieu, the former authority 
named it Dombeya Chilensis, but through inaccuracies in the description 
of its botanical characters, this name fell to the ground, and Pavon's 
subsequent name was generally used. The tree was not known in 
Europe in a living state till Archibald Menzies, accompanying Captain 
Vancouver secured some fresh seeds. 
Having been invited to dine at the house of one of the officials, at 
Valparaiso, he begged a few of the seeds of this tree, which formed part 
of the dessert. These were planted, and carefully attended to by him 
on board ship ; these young plants were brought home, and were 
presented by Menzies to Sir J. Banks, who reared one in the garden 
adjoining his house at Spring Grove, and the remainder were presented 
to the Royal Gardens, Kew. One of these trees is now among the 
finest in Europe, and stands our winter climate well. Previous to 1806 
it was kept in a greenhouse, but after being planted out it was carefully 
covered, to protect it from the frost. This precaution has now been 
discontinued for many years, and found to be quite unnecessary, as the 
abundance of these trees in almost every well-kept garden testify. 
Plants can now be obtained for a few shillings which about twenty years 
since could only be had for as many pounds. The best description of 
the Chilian Araucaria forests is from Poeppig's travels in the Peruvian 
Andes. He says : " The Araucaria — a tree that affords the Indians of the 
Pantagonian Andes a great part of their food — will not grow on the 
lowlands, and it also preserves an accurately defined boundary with 
respect to its northern limits. When transplanted into many parts of 
the province of Concepcion, it exhibits a sickly, deteriorated appearance, 
and vegetates so reluctantly that from many fresh seeds which were 
sown in Talcahuano, only two sprung up, which shortly afterwards 
died. An Alpine atmosphere and a severer climate than can be 
expected in the lower tracts of the country, and above all a stony soil, 
seem to be indispensable for its growth. In the immediate neighbour- 
hood of Antuco not a single tree of Araucaria can be seen, and it 
requires a fatiguing excursion to gratify the naturalist's desire to behold 
a wood of these truly regal trees." The writer then goes on to say : 
" Towards the evening we had ascended the moderately high ridges 
that form the background of the valley," which runs between Antuco 
and the fort of Trun Leuvu, " and the dense crown that was seen above 
these, from afar, had indicated our near approach to the desired aim, 
and added new vigour to our exertions. When we arrived at the first 
Araucarias, the sun had just set, still some time remained for their 
examination. What first struck our attention were the thick roots of 
these trees, which lie spread ovar the stony and nearly naked soil, like 
gigantic serpents, two or three feet in thickness ; they are clothed with 
a rough bark, similar to that which invests the lofty pillar-like trunks, 
of from fifty to one hundred feet in height. The crown of foliage 
