158 QUATERNARY PERIOD. 



In the lignites two kinds of pine-cones are found : one in 

 which the scales have flat shields (fig. 339) , and the seed- wings are 

 about 2J times as long as the nucule, and are narrowed towards 

 the apex (fig. 340) ; and another in which the shields of the scales 

 project (fig. 337), being either convex or hooked, and the seed- 

 wings are not more than twice as long as the nucules. The former 

 belong to Pinus sylvestris, Linn., the latter to P. montana, Mill. 

 As the scales of the cone in the mountain-pine never have flat 

 shields, the former belong to the common pine. In general the 

 cones are smaller and less acutely conical at the apex [than 

 the cones of the common Swiss pines] ; but this is chiefly due 

 to the young condition of the cones, which is also shown by 

 their seeds being not fully mature. Thus the seeds represented 



of an ovo-conical form, and about 50 millimetres (or nearly 2 inches) long. 

 The wings of the seeds are usually about three times as long as the 

 nucules. 



The mountain-pine (Pinus montana, Mill.) is sometimes an upright tree of 

 variable height, with a pyramidal conical crown, but sometimes forms de- 

 cumbent crooked wood with curved ascending branches. The bark is dark 

 grey ; the needles are green on both sides, and less pointed at the apex ; the 

 female catkins are at first erect, but afterwards incline a little, although they 

 never become recurved : the cones are sessile ; the scales have a prominent 

 shield, frequently hooked ; and the boss is surrounded by a black ring. The 

 seed- wings are about twice as long as the nucule. According to its mode 

 of growth and the structure of its cones, this species may be divided into 

 several races, namely : a, the hooked pine (P. montana uncinata), with a 

 rather lofty erect trunk, unsymmetrical cones, and usually very strongly de- 

 veloped hooks ; 6, the bog-pine (P. montana uliginosa), forming small gnarled 

 trees, the shining brown cones of which are furnished with very prominent 

 hooks directed downwards; c, the decumbent pine (P. montana humilts), 

 bushy, with decumbent branches, oval or ovo-conical unsymmetrical cones, 

 with convex shields, on which, however, the hooks are but slightly deve- 

 loped ; and, d, the dwarf pine (P. montana pumilio), of the same aspect as 

 the last, but with nearly spherical or shortly oval, sessile cones, the convex 

 shields of which are of the same size and structure all round the cone. 



The mountain-pine is spread over all the Swiss mountain-country ; and the 

 forms c and d ascend in some places to 7000 feet above the sea ; in the low 

 ground it is rare, and appears only as the hooked pine ; thus it is found on 

 the Uetliberg, where it descends to Maneck. The common pine, as is well 

 known, is spread through the whole plain, and occurs on the mountains only 

 in small groups or associated with firs. 



