THE PINE. 28 



exquisite productions of nature is the winged seed of the Brazilian tree 

 called by botanists Bignonia echinata. Though in no way related to the 

 pines and firs, it has a wing to every seed, spreading on each side like 

 a film of iridescent glass, thinner than the thinnest tissue-paper, and in 

 width and general appearance reminding us of a white butterfly. When 

 cast into the air, the seed slowly circles downwards, like a falling leaf 

 in October, unless caught by a current of air, when it sails away into 

 the aerial sea. The very curious and peculiar fruit of the pines and 

 firs familiarly known, as above said, by the name of the "cone" 

 was early taken advantage of in order to give an appropriate name to 

 the family. Whether pines or firs, cedars or larches, botanists call this 

 magnificent race by the name of "Conifers," or "Cone-bearers," and 

 under this name we shall henceforth always speak of them. 



One species only is a native of Britain that one commonly known 

 as the Scotch fir, though technically a pine. The difference between a 

 pine and a fir is very easily made out. Firs have their leaves irregu- 

 larly distributed over the surface of the branch or twig, and every leaf 

 grows quite distinct and apart from its neighbours. In pines, on the 

 contrary, the long leaves grow in couples, or in threes, or in fives, 

 and every set is enclosed in a little cup-like sheath, formed of brown 

 scales. Moreover, in the cone of a fir-tree, the scales are always thin 

 at the edge; whereas, in the cone of a pine-tree, they are much 

 thickened, forming protuberances upon the general surface, and 

 giving the cone that richly-tesselated appearance which is so greatly 

 admired. The " Scotch fir," accordingly, is properly the Scotch 

 pine Pinus sylvestris. It grows wild throughout the Highlands of 

 Scotland, and, not improbably, is wild also in some parts of England ; 

 but so many thousands of trees have been planted for use and orna- 

 ment, that now it is next to impossible to discriminate the aborigines, 

 if any really survive. The place to look for wild ones is the remote 

 mountain-side. So thoroughly is this grand old tree a mountaineer, 

 so truly, indeed, are all conifers children of the heights, that it is 

 supposed by some that the very name of Pinus is but an altered form 

 of the ancient Celtic word for a mountain, as preserved to this day in 

 Ben Lomond, Ben Nevis, Ben Cruachan, and in the name of the 

 Apennines. Were this the place, a very entertaining chapter might 

 be written on geographical names taken from plants and trees, and, 

 contrariwise, on names of trees, &c., taken from those of countries and 

 localities; it must suffice, however, to indicate that such a subject 

 awaits the scrutiny of the curious, and to mention the Morea, as so 



