THUYA PLICATA AND T. OCCIDENTALIS 177 



and their variations ; (2) the T. Orientalis, or Biota, 

 containing one and its many varieties ; and (3) the 

 Thujopsis has a group to himself with some, and 

 even a genus to himself with others. 



In reading differences of the Table there should be 

 no difficulty in pronouncing judgment as between 

 the T. Plicata and the T. Occidentalis. The one (T. 

 Plicata) has white streaks on the under-leaf, and the 

 other (T. Occidentalis) has not. Not even Bertillon, 

 with all his thumb-print successes, could have in- 

 vented a better system of identification than this. 

 If more evidence is wanted, we suggest a look at the 

 glands conspicuous on the one (T. Occidentalis), and 

 inconspicuous on the other (T. Plicata). The Plicata 

 must be identified from the Japonica b}^ its finer 

 leaves, denser habit, and several other points noted 

 in the Table. It wall be seen there that C. Japonica 

 has coarser leaves, with blunter obtuse points, and 

 here is constituted perhaps its most telling and easily 

 appreciated difference from the other two. It has 

 also more vertically placed boughs, and grows more 

 closely than the other Thuyas. The question of 

 smelling out trees or, to put it more prettih^ the art 

 of telling trees one from another by the scent they 

 produce, comes to the fore particularly among this 

 group of trees. Lest any one smile at the idea, we 

 ask in all faith and simplicity, Why should not a tree 

 be known by its smell when it is the proud possessor 

 of an odour peculiar to itself, equally and for the same 

 reason that a rose, which, called b3'an3^name, still smells 

 the same, or a violet, or any other flower is so known ? 

 Why should one product of the vegetable w^orld have a 

 monopoly of dispensing education in this direction ? 

 When we come to consider it further, it is a power 

 undenied to a turnip, or garden cabbage, not to 

 mention an onion ; and when we venture our ridicule 

 on the onion, let it not be forgotten that a saying runs, 



