p. MURICATA 49 



so the story runs as told by some and denied by 

 others. As we are not investigating the antecedents 

 of the bishop, or the question of his existence or 

 non-existence, we must merely content ourselves, and 

 probably more than content our readers, by noting 

 the fact that the tree grew in the Obispo country, 

 and that Obispo means bishop in the language of 

 Spain. 



It is one of those weird objects of trees that are 

 cone-covered with hooked spine cones of asymmetrical 

 shape, oblique and persistent, and often in large 

 clusters (like those, for instance, of the P.Tuberculata, 

 Insignis, Rigida, and others), growing upon branches, 

 branchlets, and sometimes stems. Like the Insignis, 

 its persistent cones have the scales much thicker 

 on the outer side towards the base. It does not, it 

 must be remembered, go as far in its efforts of per- 

 sisting as the P. Tuberculata and retain them actually 

 embedded in the trunk. But here similarities cease. 



The P. Muricata is a two-leaf-in-a-cluster Pine, 

 and the trees with similar cones just mentioned 

 are all three-leaved-in-a-cluster Pines, and so tell a 

 tale, candle clear, in the direction of identity. 



Compared with the others of its group, the P. 

 Muricata is far more commonly seen than any others 

 of its family group. Not that anyone is likely to 

 meet it in ordinary wayside w^anderings or holiday 

 rambles — we do not mean to infer that, but only that 

 they are quite likely to come across it in those 

 places where rare trees were planted in times gone 

 by by enterprising collectors ; and in such places as 

 these it is that you may encounter it, and, when you 

 do, wonder at leisure upon the curiosities of plant 

 life that Nature has to offer for our observation and 

 study. 



P. PuNGENS. — Lest the serenity of mind of the 



