CONIFERS— FIR TRIBE 195 



2. Juniper (Juniper us). — Bari^en flowers in smaller scaly catkins, anthers 

 attached to the base of the scales ; fertile flowers in small catkins of a few 

 united scales, which finally become fleshy and form a berry, with three hard 

 seeds. Name, the Latin name of the tree. 



3. Yew (Tdxus). — Barren flowers in oval catkins, scaly at the base ; 

 stamens numerous ; fertile flowers solitary, with a few scales at the base ; 

 seed solitary, hard, contained in a fleshy cup. Name, from toxon, a bow, from 

 the old use of its wood. 



1. Fir (Pinus). 



Scotch Fir (P. sylvcstris). — Leaves long, slender, and rigid, in pairs 

 round the branch ; young cones stalked, generally two together ; wing thrice 

 as long as the seed. Of the tall dark Firs and Pines which thicken in the 

 vast forests of Northern Europe, one alone grows wild in Britain. This, the 

 Scotch Fir, is, however, one of the most important and widely distributed of 

 the European species, and one which furnishes several varieties of stately 

 trees. In Wiltshire and some other parts of England, this Fir is to be found 

 covering large tracts of land ; and those who wander there might bethink 

 them of the words of Coleridge : — ■ 



" A rook, methouglu', fast by a grove of Firs, 

 Wliose tliready leaves to the low-breathing gale 

 Made a soft sound, most like the distant ocean." 



These Firs were sown there by means of these murmuring gales, which waft 

 the winged seeds around the spot ; or were planted by the squirrel or bird, 

 which eats its meal from the Fir-cone, and scatters some of the numerous 

 seeds. 



But it is not in England that we find the numerous Pine-forests, which 

 form so characteristic a feature of Highland scenery, darkening the slopes 

 and summits of mountains, swaying their boughs hither and thither, and 

 uttering such sounds 



" As the rough winds of autumn mak", when they 

 Pass o'er the forest and bend down the Pines." 



Amid their shadow, clumps of purple heather arise in beauty ; and many a 

 lovely flower and brilliant fungus, if not absolutely peculiar to the Pine7 

 wood, yet especially loves its shelter ; while a delicious and resinous fra- 

 grance reaches the sense, long ere the eye can discern their forms in the blue 

 distance. And how well are the trees adapted to these their haunts ! Their 

 roots, running immediately under the surface, require but little depth of 

 soil ; their evergreen, rigid leaves are not easily torn by the bleak winds 

 which sweep over the hill-tops, and are so slender that they will not long 

 hold the mass of snow ; while, by their resinous juices, they are protected 

 from the rigour of the cold air. Nor do the Fir-forests present that uniformity 

 of aspect which, it might be supposed, would be consequent on the little 

 variety of the trees. Every visitor to the Highlands of Scotland is charmed 

 by their beauty and magnificence. "Every movement we make," says Sir 

 T. D. Lauder, " exposes to our view fresh objects of excitement, and dis- 

 closes new scenes produced by the infinite variety of the surface. At one 



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