SUPPOSED SPECIFIC CEITERIA 475 



keeps the observer's attention alive to the importance of 

 studying, collateral phenomena. 



I have long been aware of Agassiz' heresies. His opinions 

 are too extreme for respect and hence are mere prejudices. 

 They are further contradicted by facts. Lyell and I have 

 talked him over by the hour. Lyell and Agassiz are great 

 personal friends. I always think Agassiz an extraordinarily 

 clever fellow and a treasure too as a scientific man, but 

 there are many people whom personally we Hke and men of 

 science too, but whose views on individual points are best 

 left alone. Giving too much attention, even to oppose, the 

 staitHng views of such people rather encourages them, and 

 there is an inherent love of getting fame at any 'price, i.e. 

 getting notoriety, amongst these French, Swiss; and Italians 

 that leads them to commit themselves on such questions. 

 The long and short of it is, that we have too many clever 

 people in the world, too few sound ones. When you Yankees 

 take up the higher branches of Botany more generally you 

 will turn out far more and better work than we do, for 

 you are a far better educated, sounder, more practical 

 people, and I look to you for the great discoveries, come when 

 they may. 



Is your N. American Larch different from ours ? Is there 

 more than one Yew in the world ? How many Junipers 

 have you ? Coniferae are I am sure much more variable 

 and widely distributed than is supposed, and whilst all our 

 commonest wild and cultivated Junipers, Yews and Scotch 

 Pines are telhng us by every specimen that their habits 

 vary with every local circumstance, we are still quoting 

 habit as a specific character for Coniferae. I showed Bentham 

 two yews in a hedge at Pontrilas [Bentham's house in Wales] 

 side by side, of which he owned that specimens from each 

 would make two species, and their habit was so different, 

 that were they growing side by side in a garden, the habit 

 would have confirmed the difference. Take Juniperus 

 communis, I found it in the Rhone valley growing Hke 

 recurva of India, with a straight trunk and conical coma. 

 As to our Deodar avenue of Kew, it is the seediest, most 

 ragged affair you ever saw, many of the trees far more hke 

 young cedars. These were all seed raised ; had we planted 

 cuttings as nurserymen do, of the most weeping glaucous, 



