SUPPOSED SPECIFIC CRITEEIA 475 
keeps the observer's attention alive to the importance of 
studying collateral phenomena. 
I have long been aware of Agassiz' heresies. His opinions 
are too extreme for respect and hence are mere prejudices. 
They are further contradicted by facts. Lyell and I have 
talked him over by the hour. Lyell and Agassiz are great 
personal friends. I always think Agassiz an extraordinarily 
clever fellow and a treasure too as a scientific man, but 
there are many people whom personally we like and men of 
science too, but whose views on individual points are best 
left alone. Giving too much attention, even to oppose, the 
starthng views of such people rather encourages them, and 
there is an inherent love of getting fame at any price, i.e. 
getting notoriety, amongst these French, Swiss, and ItaHans 
that leads them to commit themselves on such questions. 
The long and short of it is, that we have too many clever 
people in the world, too few sound ones. When you Yankees 
take up the higher branches of Botany more generally you 
will turn out far more and better work than we do, for 
you are a far better educated, sounder, more practical 
people, and I look to you for the great discoveries, come when 
they may. 
Is your N. American Larch different from ours ? Is there 
more than one Yew in the world ? How many Junipers 
have you ? Coniferae are I am sure much more variable 
and widely distributed than is supposed, and whilst all our 
commonest wild and cultivated Junipers, Yews and Scotch 
Pines are telKng us by every specimen that their habits 
vary with every local circumstance, we are still quoting 
habit as a specific character for Coniferae. I showed Bentham 
two yews in a hedge at Pontrilas [Bentham's house in Wales] 
side by side, of which he owned that specimens from each 
would make two species, and their habit was so different, 
that were they gi'owing side by side in a garden, the hahit 
would have confirmed the difference. Take Jimiyerus 
communis, I found it in the Rhone valley growing hke 
recurva of India, with a straight trunk and conical coma. 
As to our Deodar avenue of Kew, it is the seediest, most 
ragged affair you ever saw, many of the trees far more like 
young cedars. These were all seed raised ; had we planted 
cuttings as nurserymen do, of the most weeping glaucous, 
