190 
Rev. F. C. R. Jourdain on the 
man. Along the western and southern coasts the mountains 
jut out into the sea and the scenery is wild and picturesque 
in character. Along the eastern side, on the other hand, 
between the great rampart of rock, which reaches from 
north to south, and the Mediterranean, there lies a belt of 
almost level ground. In the neighbourhood of Aleria this 
plain is dotted with extensive lagoons, and, owing to the 
prevalence of malaria, is almost deserted in the height of 
summer. In fact, everywhere along the “ plage 33 the 
population is partly migratory, and, when the hot weather 
sets in, a long procession of families wends its way towards the 
heights to spend the summer in the mountain-villages, which 
in their turn are deserted in the winter. Here, in the low 
ground are extensive woods of cork-oak and in some districts 
olive and orange groves and vineyards ; while wheat, rye, and 
oats are also grown, but not in large quantities. On leaving 
the low ground and ascending the mountain, we find its sides 
clothed with forests, but these vary much in character. In 
the north-east the chestnut is the prevalent tree. Many of 
these trees are of great age and are little more than vast 
empty shells. In the north-west there are large olive- 
plantations, and in some districts the beech is largely grown, 
especially in the forest of Boccagnano, which covers some 
13,000 acres. But perhaps the most characteristic forests of 
Corsica are the great pine-forests, such as those of Yizzavona 
(60,000 acres), Aitone (3400 acres), &c. Three species of pine 
are found in the island, but the two most important are 
Pinuspinaster (or P.maritima) andP. laricio corsicana. These 
two are found in approximately equal numbers—one species 
prevailing in one locality and the other in a second, or both 
growing side by side. They are easily distinguishable by the 
fact that the trunk of P. laricio is much smoother and whiter 
than the deeply grooved and more highly coloured bark of 
P.pinaster. Pinus pinea is also found, but generally as isolated 
specimens, which were probably planted in the cultivated parts 
for the sake of the cones. The cones of all three species are 
very different and also form a ready means of identification. 
Above the forest-limit the bold granite peaks of the lower 
