4o8 



THE STUDY OF A FIRCONE. 



Mrs. E. hughes GIBB. 



{Continued from page j88). 

 The next thing to notice is the perfect orderhness with which 

 the numbers arrange themselves ; thus if we ascend one of the 

 spirals going to the right, we shall find that the number of every 

 scale is eight more than that of the preceding one ; i, 9, 17, 

 etc. ; 6, 14, 22, 30, and so on. Following a left-hand spiral 

 (these are less obvious in the drawing than they are in the real 

 cone) each scale is in its number, five beyond that of the preced- 

 ing one ; i, 6, 11 ; 4, 9, 14, 19, and so on. Or if we choose to 

 follow the steeper apparent spirals to the left which present 

 them^selves to us in this sketch, we shall still find a perfect 

 sequence of numbers, with 13 between each : 9, 22, 35, 48, 61, 

 etc In fact, whichever way we travel, there is no haphazard 

 along the road, but a bewildering orderliness which gives the 

 impression that every pathway of figures has been prepared 

 with superhuman ingenuity. 



To discover the origin of this perfect numerical arrangement 

 we must study the base of a straight, well-grown fircone (one 

 from a spruce fir is much the best for the 

 purpose). Holding it with the bottom to- 

 wards us, it will be seen that a certain 

 number of spirals start from the base and 

 ascend to the right, whilst another set go to 

 the left. Let us count each set. 



In the fircone sketched, eight spirals 

 ascend to the right and five to the left, and 

 Showing the placing this is the most usual arrangement, but it 



of the first 8 scales reversed in some spruce and Scotch fir 

 at the base of a fir- ^ . , , ^ , ^ , 



cone. cones, and m larch cones there are three 



spirals going one way, and five the other. 



Now if the lower scales are broken off for some little distance 

 up the cone, it will be seen that no matter how thick or how- 

 thin the portion being stripped, there are always five scales in 

 each whorl or round of the cone (see figure 4). 



Three of these stand quite clear and free, and two are 

 overlapped on one edge. Let us number the free ones i, 

 2, and 3, and the overlapped ones 4 and 5. Three more scales, 

 6, 7 and 8, overlapped on both edges by members of the first 

 five, peer out between i and 3, 4, and 2, and 5 and 3 res- 



Naturalist, 



