VI 



sections, Pinus, Strobus, Abies (for the Spruces), Picea 

 (for the Silver Firs and Tsugas), Larix, and Cedrm* 

 About 48 species in all are described. 



' In 1838 London's -great work, the Arboretum et Fruti- 

 cetum Britannicum, appeared. The Tribe Abietineae is 

 here adopted as denned by Richard, with the genera 

 Pinus, Abies, Picea, Larix, and Cedrus : and here that 

 confusion of Abies and Picea which so distresses British 

 foresters and planters had its origin. At p. 2105 there 

 is a clavis of the genera, where the genus Abies is attri- 

 buted to Link, but the characters given to it are those 

 of Link's Picea ; and in like manner Picea is attributed 

 to Link, though the characters given are those of Link's 

 Abies, and they are followed by D. Don in brackets. 

 Turning now to the full account of the genera, at 

 p. 2293, we find "Abies, D. Don in Lamb. Pin. vol. in." 

 with the addition of "Picea, Link" as a synonym,, 

 followed by descriptions of the Spruces. And at p. 2329 

 we have u Picea, D. Don in Lamb. Pin. vol. iii." with 

 Abies, Link, as a synonym ; followed by descriptions 

 of the Silver Firs. Now not only was the edition of 

 Lambert's work subsequent to Link's establishment of 

 Picea for Spruces and Abies for Silver Firs, but Don 

 nowhere in Lambert's Genus Pinus proposed these 

 names as generic. Disregarding this blundering, which 

 probably originated in the elaboration of the conifers 

 being a composite work of Don and London working 

 apart, there remains but one argument for preferring 

 Don's nomenclature, which is, that Linnaeus called the 

 Silver Fir Pinus Picea and the Spruce P. A bies, assuming 

 that he was following the practice of the ancients, in 

 which he is known to have been mistaken. 



