414 



SKETCH OP THE CONIFEKS OP JAPAI7, 



Mr. Veitcli's cones were, as already mentionecl, taken from 

 trees whose leaves were not bifid (we have them before us, and 

 have figured them above, see fig. 77); all his sowing has the leaves 

 bifid in the second year. Should they continue so, the name 

 A. bifida must then be retained as a variety constant when oncq 

 assumed. Should it, on the other hand, give place in subsequent 

 years to the normal leaf of A.Jirma, we must then reckon it not 

 as a variety, but as a synonym ^arising from ignorance of the 

 growth of the tree. So far as can be anticipated from what we 

 now see, this is the most probable explanation, for as the bifid 

 leaves grow they appear to become gradually less bifid. Observa- 

 tion on this point will also tell us whether Siebold has been deceived 

 purposely or unintentionally by the Japanese when they supplied 

 him with their echantillons of leaves. It is well known that 

 they, like the Chinese, are very clever in discovering what 

 will please their customers, and, 

 when it suits their purpose, not less 

 so in attempting to gratify them 

 withouj; scruple as to truth. Seeing 

 the pleasure which the receipt of a 



new species gave to M. Siebold, and 

 the profit which it extended to them- 

 selves, it is quite within the bounds 

 of probability that they may have 

 knowingly brought him leaves of 

 different ages as belonging to dif- 

 ferent plants. Mr. Veitch met with 

 still more extraordinary instances of 

 their fraudulent skill in manufactur- 

 ing species. 



There are some details in Siebold 

 and Zuccarini's descriptions of A, 

 firma and A. homolepis, which are 

 given by them under the one and 

 not under the other : for example, 

 the male flowers and cone are de- 

 scribed in their account of A, firma, 

 while no account of these is given 

 under A, homolepis^ as the authors 

 had not seen them; while, on the 

 Qther hand, they give the female 



Pig. 80. 



flower of P. homolephy but not that of. P. firma. Tlieir 



