MISCELLANEOUS. ^i07 



" heath ; and being struck with the appear- 

 " ance they presented, and having a plantation 

 " of common ones going on at the time, he 

 " pulled one, wrapped it up, and, having ar- 

 " rived at his plantation, he planted it along 

 " with the rest, and placed a durable mark 

 " beside it. During the whole period of its 

 " growth, this tree presented a singular ap- 

 " pearance ; and when it was felled and cut 

 " up (which happened about ten years ago), 

 " it was found superior to any of the sur- 

 " rounding ones. Now, this is a proof that 

 " must remove every idea of a variation in 

 '• soil, age, or situation accomplishing the 

 " existing difference ; a proof that there are 

 *' in Scotland forests of a pine superior to the 

 " common, and remote enough from it to 

 " constitute a species. 



" Shall I yet be told, then, that there is no 

 " difference ? Yes ; there are still some who 

 " maintain it : and, but for this fact, I should 

 " have treated the subject in a different man- 

 " ner. There are still some who have, 

 " through ignorance, attempted to overturn 

 " all this, and, in supporting their position, 

 " have employed the most unreasonable ar- 

 " guments. The march of discernment, how- 



