many specimens, and in a great measure by the habit and appearance of the tree itself. Taking the facts and
information as we have them, the conclusion is, that the same form of Douglas Spruce (the tall one) runs
down the coast line all the way, as far as the coast district has been examined by botanists.
On the inner range, again (the Rocky Mountains), we have seen that from Pikes Peak a continuous line
of the other form (the shorter one) runs down into New Mexico. The United States Mexican Boundary
Reports enable us to take them up there, and in the list of plants collected on that Expedition, we have Abies
Douglasii recorded as found in the mountains of Western Texas and New Mexico, on the authority of
Bigelow, and on the mountains east of San Diego, California, on that of Parry. The course of the Mexican
Boundary Expedition, in the part of the boundary where the tree was met with, is about the 3 2° parallel, or
30 farther to the south than the localities noted in Dr Bigelow's Report above mentioned; and they also
were of the shorter type, as we learn from a note appended to the record of locality, viz., " a noble tree,
50 to 100 feet high."
Of the range and distribution of the tree farther to the south, we are unable to speak with the same confidence,
for we have no data of similar accuracy or precision to those with which the admirable Reports of
the United States Government Surveys have hitherto supplied us. We know that the tree occurs in Mexico
in more than one place, but it is almost guessing in the dark to do more than state the fact, that the specimens
obtained in Mexico are of the smaller form, indicating an extension of the range of the Rocky Mountain
type. Still there are one or two circumstances which, if nothing is hereafter discovered to contradict them,
would seem to indicate the continuance in Mexico itself of a difference between the Douglas Spruce of the
eastern mountains and those of the west. The same influences which, more to the north, would appear to
have altered the character of the tree, are present also in Mexico, and it might be reasonably anticipated that
they would have some effect there also; and it is so far in conformity with this, that all the specimens of the
sub-species, Abies Lindleyana, which we have seen from Mexico, are from the eastern range. Roezl's
specimens came from Real del Monte, a famous mining place not very far from Tampico (on the east coast).
Bentham ("Planta; Hartwegianze") gives Moranas the locality where Hartweg found it. Specimens are also
in both the Kew and British Museums, marked as from the Sierra Madre, which also runs down the eastern
side of the country. It is also recorded from Orizaba, and it, too, is on the continuation of the Sierra Madre,
or eastern side of the ranges. This is the most southern habitat which we have found for it. But we have
found none on the western ranges; the above, indeed, being all the recorded stations of Abies Douglasii in
Mexico that we have met with.
On the western mountains, however, there grows something which looks very like it, but is different. It
was met with by Dr Seeman on the road from Durango to Mazaltan, the western port of North Mexico.
A specimen of its foliage, with the characteristic scales around its buds (but no cones), is preserved in the
Herbaria of Kew and the British Museum ; and the only difference that we can see between its foliage and
that of A. Douglasii is, that the leaves are more pointed. The difference between the two will be seen in
the figures given under Abies hirtella. There is another specimen, collected by Schiede and Deppe, also
without cones, in the British Museum, which has even more pointed leaves than that of Dr Seeman.
It may be that it, too, is a variety of Abies Douglasii, but as it has not the characteristic bud scales
(which may, however, be due to the period of year when the specimen was collected), we refrain from
expressing an opinion. But we do not refrain from expressing our belief in the close affinity of Dr Seeman's
specimen to Abies Douglasii. Dr Seeman calls it ("Botany of Voyage of II.M.S. Herald"), Abies
hirtella of Humboldt, and we adopt his nomenclature; but we dissent from his synonymy, which makes it
identical with A. rcligiosa of Humboldt, on the ground that, from the description, it is obvious that the
latter is a Silver Fir, while the specimen of Dr Seeman is undoubtedly a Hemlock Spruce. Humboldt paid
his visit to Mexico from the Pacific side of the continent, and the locality he gives for Abies hirtella is
Guarda, between Guchilaque and the city of Mexico, and these are in the western ranges—even Mexico city
is not on the eastern range. The inference which we feel disposed to draw from the occurrence of this form,
so like A. Douglasii, on the western side of Mexico, is, that it is its representative there, the difference of the
conditions
conditions of the Mexican west range from the Californian and Oregon west range having operated to
produce a change upon it. It may be said that if the climate of the west of Mexico has the effect of altering
the type of the Oregon Abies Douglasii, so the climate of the interior should have had the effect of altering
the Rocky Mountain type. To which we would reply:—1. That the amount of difference of condition will
be obviously much greater between the moist coast ranges of comparatively small elevations of California, and
the lofty and much drier tropical heights of Mexico, than would be between the drier Rocky Mountain
elevations of 6000 and 10,000 feet, and the scarcely more lofty eastern mountains of Mexico ; and 2. That
there has been some amount of change, for the tree which in the Rocky Mountains averaged from 80 to 100
feet, in Mexico only reaches 30 or 40 feet.
" A handsome tree," says Mr Gordon, who doubtless obtained his information from Roezl, "growing
from 30 to 40 feet high." The diminution in size, however, appears to have been gradual. The height
of the tree is given by Parry, at Pikes Peak (N. lat. 390), as from 80 to 100 feet; by Bigelow, at
San Francisco (N. lat. 350), as from 90 to 120 feet; by Bigelow, in New Mexico (N. lat. 320), 50 to
100 feet; by Roezl, in Mexico (N. lat. 180), 30 to 40 feet.
From the above facts we draw the conclusion, that there are two forms of Abies Douglasii, which are
not intermingled, but occupy well-defined geographical areas, the one being confined to the ranges of mountains
next the Pacific, the other to the inner range, or Rocky Mountains, and their continuation in Mexico,
each of which, again, may possibly be divisible into two other sections—the American and the Mexican.
History.—This species was first found by Menzies in Nootka Sound, when Vancouver stopped
there in his celebrated voyage round the world (1790-1795), in which Menzies accompanied him as naturalist
and surgeon. It was figured and imperfectly described by Lambert, under the name Abies taxifolia, from
specimens of the foliage brought by Menzies; and these specimens are still preserved in the British Museum,
the Museum having acquired Lambert's collection after his death. No seeds were, however, brought by
Menzies. Others, probably, had also found it, for Nuttall had specimens before Douglas. Specimens
from him, also, are in the British Museum, and his MS. name for it was the characteristic one of
A bies appendiculata.
It was re-discovered by Douglas in 1827, when collecting for the Horticultural Society of London, and
anew described and figured with the cone by Sir William Hooker, under the name which it has since borne
{Abies Douglasii). A plentiful supply of seed was then sent by him to the Horticultural Society, and
distributed among its Fellows; and a number of trees, the oldest in Britain, scattered here and there
throughout the country, are the produce of that first consignment.
Its history, since Douglas found it, has been already told under the head "Geographical Distribution,"
with the exception that almost every fresh explorer or collector whom we have heard of, and doubtless
many more that we do not know of, has sent home an additional supply of seed, either to his friends or for
sale, so that now it is extensively cultivated and generally introduced.
Although, therefore, we have little of its own history to tell beyond what we have already said as to its
distribution, and shall presently say as to its properties, we think that the reader will feel that the account of
its history would be incomplete, were we not to give some account of the discoverer whose name is
indissolubly associated with it—the rather that a record of the places he visited may be convenient in tracing
the distribution of other species.
David Douglas was born at Scone, near Perth, in 1799. He was of humble but respectable parentage,
his father, John Douglas, having been a stone-mason, a man possessed of good abilities and information
superior to his sphere in life. Douglas was educated at the parish school of Kinnoul, kept by Mr Wilson,
and early gave indication of his innate love for natural history and rambling propensities. A decided taste
which he shewed for gardening and collecting plants caused him to be employed, at the age of ten or eleven
years, in the common operations of the nursery-ground attached to the gardens of the Earl of Mansfield,
under the superintendence of Mr Beattie; and an anecdote is preserved of this epoch of his life, which
[ 29 ] f shews