lighter green than the rest of the leaves. The leaves, on branches at some distance from the ground, and on the leading shoot, as compared with those of other pines and firs, may be described as daggershaped, or as resembling miniature bayonets. They are equally and closely distributed over the branches; and, being almost without footstalks, and broad at the base in proportion to their length, they give the branches which are clothed with them a good deal of the appearance of Araucaria brasiliensis. The leaves, on the branches which are close to the ground, are rather more two-rowed, in the manner of the silver fir, than those on the higher branches; as may be seen in fig. 2236., which represents a portion of the lowest branch of the young tree in the pinetum at Dropmore. The colour of the bark of the young shoots is a decided brown; which, contrasting with the light colour of the petioles, and the dark green of the upper surface of the

leaves, and their silvery lines below, gives the plant at once a rich and a lively appearance. The buds are prominent, somewhat square-sided, pointed, and slightly covered with resin. In plants kept under glass, they have much more resin than in those kept in the open air. The branches are very numerous; and, though originating at the main stem in regular tiers, yet, at a short distance from it, they divaricate in all directions; and, in plants in pots, from 3 ft. to 4 ft. high, which are the largest that we have seen, they form a bush broader than it is high. This is also said to be the case with the plants in the open ground at Luscombe and at Hampton Lodge. The general resemblance which the plant, in this state, has to an araucaria is very remarkable; and, if the cones should prove to be as different from those of other species of A'bies and Picea as the leaves, this tree will form a connecting link between the firs and the arau

carias. The cones have not yet been seen in Britain; but General Napier thinks that they are sometimes pointing upwards, and sometimes turned down; and Mr. Curling, who was superintendent of the Colonial Farm in Cephalonia at the time that General Napier was governor of the island, and who is now steward to Sir Henry Bunbury, at Mildenhall, Suffolk, thinks that he recollects that the cones were soft and pendulous, like those of the spruce fir. This point, through the kindness of General Napier, now (January, 1838,) residing at Bath, who has promised to procure cones for us, and a specimen of the wood, we hope soon to be able to determine.

Geography. The only known habitat of this remarkable fir is in Cephalonia, on a ridge of mountains, the highest point of which was anciently called Mount Enos; but the general name of the ridge is now the Black Mountain. This ridge is between twelve and fifteen miles in length, and between 4000 ft. and 5000 ft. above the level of the sea. Dr. Holland, who saw it in 1813, describes it as the most striking feature in the general aspect of the island. On the summit of the highest point of this ridge, the Mount Enos of antiquity, stood, according to Strabo, an altar dedicated to Jupiter Ænesius; and Dr.

Holland was informed that some of the stones of this altar, and of the bones of the animals sacrificed on it, were still occasionally to be found on its site. "The name of the Black Mountain," he says, was obtained from the large pine forests which once covered its acclivity; but, during the disturbed state of the islands fifteen years ago (about 1798), these forests were wantonly set on fire, and in great part destroyed; so that now (Feb., 1813) the appearance of the mountain entirely contradicts its name. This is especially the case on its southern side, where the precipitous point, which rises by a single majestic elevation from the base to the summit, is broken by numerous deep gullies, displaying the white limestone rock of which the mountain is composed.' (Travels in the Ionian Isles, &c., p. 35.)

The main ridge of the Black Mountain lies in the direction of north-west and south-east. The upper part only is, or rather was, covered with forest ; while the lower part of the sides is covered with vineyards, olive grounds, corn fields, and gardens. The ridge, General Napier informs us, is very narrow, and its sides steep, and in many places almost without soil; nevertheless, this fir springs, in many places, from the crevices of the rock, though, like other mountain trees in similar cases, the tree only attains a large size in mountain hollows, where the soil is deep and the situation sheltered. Neither Pouqueville nor Olivier mention this forest; and, though Dr. Pococke speaks of the mountain, the highest point of which he calls Mount Gargasso, he does not mention its trees. This omission is, however, accounted for by the fact, that Dr. Pococke did not go on shore on the island. In General C. J. Napier's work, entitled The Colonies, published in 1833, there are more ample details. It is there stated that, notwithstanding a great part of this forest was burned down several years ago, it is still very extensive; though it is greatly injured by the vast number of goats which are permitted to range at pleasure among the trees, and which destroy the young ones by uniformly biting off the leading shoot. As wood is very valuable in Cephalonia, the forest, General Napier observes, might be made a source of great riches and utility; and twenty years' care, would make it magnificent. Count Marine Mataxa, one of the nobles of the island, he adds, told him that," when he was presented to the Emperor Napoleon, His Majesty's first question was about the forest on the Black Mountain." (Colonies, &c., p. 336.) The following is an extract from an Agricultural Report made to Colonel Conyers respecting this forest in 1832, by Mr. Edward Curling, the director of the Colonial Farm already mentioned: "Before I conclude, I must draw your attention to the fine forest of firs that might be had on the Black Mountain of Cefalonia. With a very little attention, this would form a source of riches to the islands, which, at present, import all the wood they require for houses, ship-building, &c. This forest, at one time, contained some of the finest trees in the world, but was unfortunately burned down by the negligence of some Greeks in setting fire to their lands; and, since then, the goats have effectually prevented anything like a good tree from growing. These animals always eat off the leading shoot, and thus entirely ruin the tree: for this fir does not renew its leading shoot when injured. And thus, only stunted crooked trees are to be found, except a few that have sprung up since Colonel Napier took pains to keep the goats out; though, immediately that the island was left in less attentive hands, the goats renewed their incursions. Even these young trees are in danger of being destroyed by the women who collect resin, who take off about a foot of the bark of the leading shoot; and, of course, the tree dies. Colonel Napier has made a road up to the forest; and the thinnings would pay all the expenses of taking care of it, as firewood sells enormously dear at Argostoli." (Colonies, &c., p. 283.)

"It has been said that it is useless to take any pains to protect this forest, as there is scarcely a tree in it worth the trouble;' but this is the very reason why it should be protected, to prevent the trees from being injured as they have hitherto been, and to allow the trees to attain a timber-like size." (Ibid.) History. As far as we have been able to discover, no botanist has yet

noticed this tree. We were once inclined to conjecture that it might be the Abies orientalis of Tournefort, notwithstanding the discrepancy between the description and the Cephalonian plant; but, having examined the specimen of Abies orientalis in Mr. Lambert's herbarium, we are satisfied that the latter is a variety of the common spruce fir. The merit of introducing A. cephalónica into England entirely belongs to General Napier, who, from his work, The Colonies, and also from a pamphlet by him, entitled, Memoir on the Roads of Cephalonia, seems to possess an enthusiastic attachment to the island, and an ardent desire for its improvement. He was particularly anxious that this forest ridge should be enclosed so as to exclude the goats, and to allow the trees to grow up and become timber; and, when he was governor, made many remonstrances on the subject to Sir Frederick Adam, the chief commissioner, but without effect. In 1824, in compliance with a request of Henry L. Long, Esq., of Hampton Lodge, near Farnham, who was desirous of knowing the species of fir described by the ancient writers as the peuke and the elate, Colonel Napier sent a packet of seeds of the Cephalonian fir to England. The seeds were without the cones, and were sent to the care of the colonel's sister, Lady Bunbury. The packet was duly forwarded to Hampton Lodge; but some seeds having dropped from it, Lady Bunbury gave these seeds to Charles Hoare, Esq., of Luscombe. Mr. Richard Saunders, the woodreeve at Luscombe, in a letter dated November, 1837, informs us that he recollects receiving the "seeds from Colonel, now General, Napier, about thirteen years since; and " hearing that the general had obtained them from his brother, at that time governor of Cefalonia.' "The seeds," he adds, "were of the largest size. I raised twelve plants from them, four of which I lost, when young, by damp and frost, having planted them out in the open ground at the age of two years only. Three of the plants raised were given to Mr. Pince of the Exeter Nursery, and one to Mr. Pontey of the Plymouth Nursery. The other four plants are remaining at Luscombe, flourishing exceedingly well, and never having had any protection during the winter, since they were planted in the open air. The largest of the plants at Luscombe is 3 ft. 10 in. high, and the branches cover a space 4 ft. 3 in. in diameter. All the plants are very thickly furnished with side branches quite close to the ground, forming, at a distance, very handsome green bushes.-R. S. Luscombe, Nov. 6. 1837." It thus appears that the A'bies cephalónica was introduced into England by General Charles James Napier in 1824, though it never was heard of in any public collection, or in the nurseries, till within the last two or three years.

The plant sent to the Plymouth Nursery was, in 1837, sold to the Duke of Bedford for 25 guineas. Two of those sent to the Exeter Nursery were sold to the Rev. Theodore Williams of Hendon Rectory, for about the same sum each; and the third is retained as a stock plant to propagate from.

The seeds sent to Hampton Lodge were safely received, and vegetated without difficulty. Mr. Long, in a letter dated Dec. 3. 1837, says: "I lost a great number of plants by spring frosts and by rabbits, owing to want of care whilst I was on the Continent. I have only three plants left; and they are in full vigour, and have made shoots, during the past summer, from 6 in. to 7 in. in length." The highest plant is 3 ft., and the breadth of space covered by its branches is 4 ft. in diameter. "I gave some plants to Lord Orford, for his pinarium at Wolterton, in Norfolk; some to Lord King, for his collection at Ockham Park, Surrey; two to Robert Mangles, Esq., of Sunninghill; three I have planted out myself; and the remainder I gave this year to Mr. Penny, the nursery-gardener at Milford." We are thus enabled to account for all the plants raised from the seeds sent home by General Napier.

Properties, Uses, Propagation, &c. The timber of this tree is said to be very hard, and of great durability. General Napier informs us that, in pulling down some old houses in the town of Argostoli, which had been built from 150 to 300 years before, all the wood-work of the Black Forest fir was as hard as oak, and perfectly sound. In Britain, the tree may be considered as one of the most interesting and beautiful of the Abiétinæ ; and, when it attains the

dimensions of our cedars of Lebanon, which there is no reason to suppose it will not do in favourable situations, its timber may probably be found as useful here as it was in Cephalonia. Should, however, its timber be of no more use than that of the cedar of Lebanon, it is still in every way as worthy of being planted as an ornamental object as that fine tree. As the plant strikes with great readiness by cuttings, a number have been propagated in the Devonshire nurseries, and also in the neighbourhood of London. There are plants in the pinetum at Dropmore, and in the garden of Robert Mangles, Esq., of Sunninghill. The large plants at Hendon Rectory, and in the pinetum at Woburn Abbey, are upwards of 3 ft. high; but the one at Dropmore is only about 18 in. high. Price of plants, in the British nurseries, 2 guineas each. App. i. Species of Abies of which little more is known than their Names.

A. obovata D. Don MS., Picea obovata Led. Icon. Pl. Fl. Ross., t. 500. Leaves arranged in many series, curved upwards. Cones erect, cylindrical. Scales abruptly dilated at the cuneate base into a quadrangular lamina, broader towards the point. Bracteas somewhat quadrangular, mucronate, not half the length of the scale, scarcely broader than the wing of the fruit, which is straight on both margins towards the apex. Found on the Altai Mountains, at an elevation of 5272 ft. Flowering in May; not yet introduced. Professor Don informs us, that he strongly suspects this tree to be only a northern form of A'bies Smithiana. Ledebour, he says, has committed the same error in regard to his P. obovata, as Dr. Wallich did in the case of Abies Smithiana; that is, he has described the cones as erect, while, from the other parts of his description, it must belong to Abies.

A. Mertensiana Bong, and A. sitchensis Bong. are mentioned by M. Bongard in his observations on the Island of Sitcha, on the west coast of North America, in N. lat. 570, as indigenous there. The article is quoted in the Annales des Sciences Naturelles, 2d ser., tom. iii. p. 237.; but no description is given. A. trigona, A. heterophylla, A. aromática, A. microphýlla, A. obliquàta, and A. falcàta are mentioned by Rafinesque as being found in the Oregon country; but, as he gives no description of these trees, it is uncertain whether they belong to Abies or Picea. The same observations will apply to A. hirtella Humboldt et Kunth Nov. Gen. et Sp. Plant., pl. 2. p. 5., of which nothing is known either of the flowers or cones; and A. Kæmpfèrii and A. Thunbergii, mentioned by Thunberg; and A. Mórni, A. Torano, and A. Araragi, enumerated by Sieboldt in Verhand. Batav. Genootsch., xii. p. 12., as quoted in Pen. Cyc.

GENUS III.

PICEA D. Don. THE SILVER FIR. Linn. Syst. Mono'cia Monadelphia. Identification. D. Don in Lamb. Pin., vol. 3. Synonymes. Pinus Lin., in part; in part; Sapin, Fr.; Tannen, Ger. Derivation. From piz, pitch; the tree producing abundance of resin. Loiseleur Deslongchamps observes that the silver fir was called by the ancients Abies, and the spruce Picea; and that Linnæus has created much confusion by reversing the application of the names. He proposes, therefore, to call the silver fir A'bies vèra, and the spruce fir A'bies Picea. (N. Du Ham., v. 214. note.) Link has divided the spruces and silver firs into two genera, and given the classical names of Picea to the first genus, and A'bies to the second (see Abhand. Akad. der Wissenschaften, jahr 1827, p. 157.); and in this he has been followed by Nees von Esenbeck, and Ledebour.

'bies Link, Nees von Esenbeck, and Ledebour; Abies Du Roi,

Description. Trees remarkable for the regularity and symmetry of their pyramidal heads; readily distinguished from the genus A'bies, by their leaves being more decidedly in two rows; by their cones being upright, and having the scales deciduous; and by the seeds being irregular in form. The nucleus of the seed is exposed at the inner angle, through a considerable opening in the outer testa, as if the junction of the two sides had been ruptured by the rapid enlargement of the nucleus. (D. Don.) They are natives of Europe, Asia, and America; but, generally, in regions more temperate than those in which the species of spruce abound. In Britain, with the exception of P. pectinata, they are solely to be considered as ornamental trees.

1. P. PECTINATA. The comb-like-leaved Silver Fir.

Synonymes. A'bies of Pliny; Pinus Pícea Lin. Sp. Pl., 1420., Syst., ed. Reich,, 4. p. 175., Huds, Angl., p. 423., Scop. Carn., No. 1193., Pall. Fl. Ross., 1. p. 7., Allion. Fl. Ped., 2. p. 179., Vill. Dauph, 3. p. 809., Ait. Hort. Kew., 3. p. 370., Willd. Berl. Baumz., p. 217., Hayne Dend., p. 176., Hoss Anleit., p. 17., Lamb. Pin., ed. 2., 1. t. 40.. Hal. Helv., No. 1517.; P. Abies Du Roi Harbk., ed. Pott., t. 2. p. 133., Reit. und Abel. Abb., t. 98.; Abies álba Mil, Dict., No. 1., Lin. Hort. Cliff, p. 449.; 4. Táxi fòlio Tourn. Inst., p. 585., Du Ham. dr., 1. p. 3., Bauh. Pin.,

2237

505.; A. vulgàris Poir. Dict. Encyc., 6. p. 514.; 4. pectinata Dec. Fl. Fr., 2. p. 75., N. Du Ham., 5. p. 294.; A. taxifolia Hort. Par.; A. Picea Lindl. in Penn. Cyc., No. 1.; 4. excélsa Link Abhand., &c., jahr 1827, p. 182.; Spanish Fir; Sapin commun, Sapin à Feuilles d'If, Sapin blanc, Sapin argenté, Sapin en Peigne, Sapin de Normandie, Fr. ; weiss Tanne, Edeltanne, Ger. Engravings. Lamb. Pin., ed. 2., 1. t. 40; Nov. Act. Acad. Nat. Cur., S.; App., t. 13. f. 29. 44. Pall. Ross., 1. t. 1. f. F.; Woodv. Med. Bot., t. 209.; Reit. und Abel. Abb., t. 98. ; N. Du Ham., 5. t. 82.; our fig. 2237. of the natural size, and fig. 2238. to our usual scale; and the plates of this species in our last Volume.

Spec. Char., &c. Leaves solitary, flat, obtuse; 2-ranked, with their points turned up. Cones axillary, cylindrical, erect; scales with a long dorsal bractea. Anthers with a short crest, with two teeth. (Lois.) Buds short, eggshaped, blunt; of a reddish yellow, with from 16 to 20 blunt scales. Leaves from

in. to 1 in. long, stiff, turned up at the points; of a shining dark green above, and with two lines of silvery white on each side of the midrib beneath. Cones from 6 in. to 8 in. long, and from 1 in. to 2 in. broad; cylindrical; green when young, afterwards reddish, and, when ripe, brown. Scale in. to 14 in. long, and 14 in. broad. Seeds variously angular, in. long, and 3 in. broad. Cotyledons 5. The blossoms appear in May, and the cones are matured in the October of the following year.

Varieties.

Knights has become variegated, from which we have brought cut tings, and presented them to the Horticultural Society, and to the Hammersmith and Fulham Nurseries.