76 The Scottish Naturalist. 



vox et prceterca nihil — names and nothing else — still remain in 

 the land; it might tell us of the old Romans, who doubtless 

 often rested under its spreading branches and gazed in admir- 

 ation on its immense stem ; it might tell us when the dark shades 

 of Paganism were dispersed by the light of the new and true faith, 

 and when reversing the usual order of things, the churchyard 

 was made round the Yew, and not the Yew planted in the 

 church-yard ; it might tell us — but enough ! Twenty-five 

 centuries have passed over the head of this venerable tree ; the 

 suns of twenty-five hundred summers have warmed its old 

 branches, and the snows of twenty-five hundred winters have 

 there found a resting place. 



The Juniper (Jwiiperus co?nmunis \i.) ; Gaelic, An faiteal. 

 In some parts of our Highlands, the Juniper is a common plant. 

 The berries are not much used now in this country, I believe ; 

 but formerly they were sometimes collected and exported for 

 flavouring Gin or Juniper water. (It may not be out of place 

 to allude to the origin of the word " Gin," which is said to be 

 acontraction of "Geneva," and that again a corruption «.;f Genevre, 

 the French forji Juniper-berry.) This liquid is properly a malt 

 liquor, distilled a second time with the addition of Juniper- 

 berries. Formerly these were added to the malt in grinding, but 

 now they are said to be omitted entirely, and oil of turpentine 

 used instead. In past ages (and more recently in Norway and 

 Sweden) sprays of juniper were used for strewing over floors in- 

 stead of rushes, on account of their fragrancy, and also from being 

 supposed to promote sleep, as well as from being efficacious in 

 driving away domestic insects. In Germany the berries are 

 bruised in sauce and eaten with the pork of the wild-boar, 

 while in Lapland the inhabitants drink infusions of the berries, 

 after the manner of tea — a custom not altogether unknown in 

 Scotland within the last hundred years, and even recommended 

 as a more wholesome beverage than that obtained from the 

 Chinese plant ! Moreover it is said that a pleasant diuretic liquor 

 may be obtained from the bruised berries. One or two ripe 

 berries will not be found unpalatable. 



These, then, are all of what can in any degree be considered, 

 edible wild fruits in Scotland. 



