Bibliographical Notices, 33 J 



The original work appears to have been published by the Imperial 

 Society of Natural History at Moscow, we rather believe since the 

 death of the author, which has taken place recently. Not having 

 seen the paper itself, we have made use of the copy which is given 

 in the 'Annales des Sciences Naturelles' of January 1839. 



M. Steven is of opinion that the Pinns should be preserved en- 

 tire as proposed by Linnaeus, and accordingly calls all the species 

 Pinus. Having mentioned this subject in the preceding paper we 

 have nothing to add at present ; but we must observe that, agreeing 

 perfectly with M. Steven in his principal position, we think he is 

 unnecessarily and most inconveniently tenacious about species, as 

 we shall see in the examination of his work. 



The first species described is a variety of A. pectinata, or silver 

 fir, which differs from it in having the branchlets smooth which in 

 the congener are pubescent, and the name of leioclada is proposed to 

 be affixed to it. Tournefort, who noticed it near Trapezas, consi- 

 dered it to be absolutely identical with the common species of the 

 Alps and Pyrenees. It was found on the higher range of the Cau- 

 casus by the author of the ' Flora Caucasica,' though he has not given 

 the locality, and branches were sent by Sovitz, which he had ga- 

 thered on the range of Adshar, above Guriel, where it was also seen 

 by Nordmann. Although it cannot be positively asserted, the in- 

 ference may be drawn, that its place is below that of the following 

 species. 



No. 2. Abies Nordmanni is a new silver fir, which was discovered in 

 1836 on the range of the Adshar, at an elevation of 6000 feet, by M. 

 Nordmann, whose name has been most justly conferred upon it. It 

 was also seen by Wittman on the southern slope of the range be- 

 tween Cartalinia and Achalziche, near Azchur, as high as the alpine 

 region, where it was mixed with the A. orientalis. It attains the 

 height of 80 feet in the stem, and is above 3 feet in diameter. Cones 

 are produced in from fourteen to sixteen years, at first near the sum- 

 mit, from which they descend in the adult tree, covering the branches 

 to within a fourth part of their height, growing upright, single, bi- 

 nary and ternary, and exuding quantities of resin. The seed ripens at 

 the end of September, when the cone immediately falls to pieces, 

 leaving the spindle or axis, which sometimes remains for the whole 

 year. The wood is harder than that of P. orientalis, and is not so 

 liable to be attacked by the larvae of insects as that species. 



From the description of this most noble tree it would appear to be 

 connected with A. Pichta, or the silver fir of the north of Asia. The 



Ann. Nat. Hist. Vol.3. No. 18. July 1839. 2 b 



