18 



THE TREES AND SHRUBS 



[LECT. 



The Oak tribe, too, stood highest in the list of 

 timber trees, and the best shingles for covering the 

 roofs of houses were obtained from the Quercus 

 robur. 



Its bark was also applied to a variety of uses, 

 and especially to covering the roofs of houses ; 

 that of the Cork-tree, as we have seen, to most 

 of the purposes for which in modern times it is 

 made available. 



I will conclude this account of the Oak tribe by 

 classifying the Oaks known to the ancients ac- 

 cording to the system proposed by the younger 

 Decandolle : 



Fruits. 



Appearing 



the 1st 



year. 



The 2nd 

 year 



QUERCUS. 



Leaves. Ancient names. 



Deciduous Robur 



,, ,, Esculus 



Persistent Ilex 



Suber 



f Deciduous Hemeris 



\ Cerris 



Modern names. 

 Robur 

 Esculus 



Ilex and Coccifera 

 Suber 

 Toza 

 Cerris 



Persistent Halephlaous Pseudo-suber (?) 

 JSgilops JEgilops 



I shall now proceed to notice another class of 

 trees, distinguished by Pliny under the name of 

 pitch-bearing, comprehending those now known as 

 the Conifers or Fir tribe. 



These Pliny divides into Abies and Pinus : and 

 modern botanists, having separated the Abietince 

 into two groups namely, the one with leaves 

 solitary or in two ranks, the other in clusters of 



