Mr. S. B. Higgins, Gordon, Nebraska, writes: "Since writing you at the time specimens were sent, I have been investigating this more fully. I have seen seeds, cones, twigs (with leaves thereon) and wood of the simon pure genuine Pinus ponderosa, and with all due respect to friend Meehan and others, who have expressed their opinions, I am now humoring myself that the pine in question, is removed so distantly in form, habit and habitat from P. ponderosa as to be an entirely different species. Now, don't you be angry with me for setting my opinion up against yours, for I am not prepared to do that yet, and do not know as I will in the future, inasmuch as you are the only person who comes anywhere near agreeing with me; for all others to whom I submitted it, have pronounced it P. ponderosa positively, and pure and simple. Even Robt. Douglas pronounced it P. ponderosa, in the face of the fact (as I understand it) that he has grown P. ponderosa largely from the seed, and perhaps has them at the present growing either on his grounds or in nursery.

"It is many years since I have seen a specimen of the Pinus mitis, or Yellow pine, as we called it in the East, but so far as recollection serves me, the tree in question reminds me more of Yellow pine than it does of P. ponderosa.

"Sorry to trouble you with this matter, and should not have done so, except for the fact that you kindly furnished me with your opinion thereon, and a man in pursuit of knowledge under difficulties, has to make use of all available resources".

[The pine is not Pinus mitis. We have to confess that the long sheaths at the base of the bundles of leaves, the small cones and deflexed prickles, are much more like the Eastern form of Pinus taeda, the long-leaved pine of the South, than like the Pacific form of Pinus ponderosa. But we decided in favor of its being P. scopu-lorum, principally because this very question of the relation of the Long-leaved pine to the Rocky Mountain plant, has been examined by Engel-mann and other competent botanists, and pronounced against. It would hardly be conceded by them, that Pinus taeda could be found so far North.

But on the other hand we have to admit, that the character, on which many species of pines are made are so slight, that in other genera botanists themselves would hardly admit them to be of sufficient importance to found a species on.

In this case, if the specimen had been sent to us - a cone and branch merely as these were - from the South instead of Western Nebraska, we should have considered it a form of Pinus taeda. - Ed. G. M].