THE PINE. 43 



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 tech- 

 nically a pine. 



The difference between a pine and a fir is very 

 easily made out. Firs have their leaves irregularly 

 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 

 the base of every set is enclosed in a 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 appear- 

 ance which is so greatly admired. The " Scotch 

 fir," accordingly, is properly the Scotch pine, as 

 expressed in its botanical name, 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 ornament, 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 the 



