In Mar Forest he will also observe (if they be not now all cut down) several well marked individuals of the _splatch_ pine, esteemed a very valuable and hardy kind; and with the right which a botanist has in a plant sown by nature, he may bear off some of the seeds, and endeavour to spread this rare indigenous kind throughout the island. Should he be unsuccessful in finding these at Mar, he may return {69} by Kenmore, where, on the side of the hill on the right bank of the Tay, near the confluence of the Lyon, he will find several trees, we think five, of this kind of pine, of considerable size, growing at one place, apparently planted: we were told the plants had been brought down from the natural forest farther up on the mountains. These are sufficiently distinct in character from the common Scots fir growing around, having a horizontal, straggling disposition of branches, the leaves being of a much lighter, different shade of green, and more tufted, and the bark of a yellower red, so as to merit a distinct name; and we should consider Pinus horizontalis as descriptive as any other, if it shall not appear to be only a sub-species of P. sylvestris. The descriptive name _splatch_ fir, is from the prominences of the rugged bark not being in longitudinal ridges or flutes, but in detached flat oblong lumps, such as soft clay or mud takes when cast with force upon a wall. We, however, do not think this the same as Mr DON’s var. 2d, at least we have noticed in our lowland woods raised by planting, such as Mr DON examined, individuals here and there having less or more resemblance to his described varieties, but none of them approaching the distinctness of this alpine Scots fir. The proprietors of this kind of pine will confer a benefit on the public by causing the timber {70} be examined and compared with that of trees of equal size of the common Scots fir growing near, and making a public report of the number and size of annual growths, the number of these of matured and of sap wood, the comparative strength, density, quantity of resinous deposit, hardness, &c. The Pinaster is a valuable kind of red-wood pine, with strong resinous timber, and from not having one-half the number of sap-wood layers of the common Scots fir, we should consider it deserving attention as a naval timber; but perhaps the small number of sap-layers is from want of climate: owing to the branches being larger, and, in proportion to their size, being joined to the stem with a larger swell than those of P. sylvestris, the timber is rougher with larger knots. In the very barren sand and gravel district near Christchurch, scarcely affording sustenance to lichens, and where even heaths will not grow, we have observed this tree make considerable progress, and outstrip the Scots fir in growth.