PINUS EXCELSA 13 
and if the Coulteri carries off the welter-weight prize, 
the Lambertiana outpaces its rival in the long-dis- 
tance stakes, while the Ayacahuite is a close runner 
up. The cone of the P. Lambertiana in shape takes 
after the shell case of a 6-inch gun, and that of the 
P. Coulteri and P. Ayacahuite follow more after the 
family figure of the pumpkin. 
When we come to a comparison of leaf appearance, 
as between the Excelsa and Ayacahuite, we are 
approaching another of those Tweedle-dum and 
Tweedle-dee differences that seem to be created to 
perplex. But as eventually it was generally admitted 
by posterity that in reality a great gulf, in a matter 
of prowess, separated the two rivals, Handel and 
- Bononcini, who inspired Dr. Byrom’s rhyme, 
Strange all this difference should be, 
’"Twixt Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee, 
so does one very marked difference, luckily for us, 
in quest of simple clues, divide in character unmis- 
takably these two trees. While the Excelsa twigs 
are smooth as marble, those of the Ayacahuite—and 
it can be easily seen—are densely covered with tufts 
and reddish-brown down or pubescence. 
While the P. Excelsa hails from the Himalayas, 
the Ayacahuite and its name come from that Paradise 
of Pines the Mexican territory. To the question, 
who gave it this name, the answer is the aboriginals 
of that country, and the natives of a country who 
perhaps, brought up on the, slopes of Popocatepetl, 
had learnt to love the music of high-sounding names. 
To the question as to what this name means, our 
only reply must be that as our liege lords of tree lore 
have failed to inform us, no answer can be forthcoming 
here; and if still further pressed upon the subject of 
its phonetic pronunciation, our answer would be the 
same. We note that Sargent in his manual of 
