Chap. IX. PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 327 



seen nowhere else amongst the natives." But Du Chaillu 

 saw a palm and some other wild fruit-trees which had been 

 planted; and these trees were considered private property. 

 The next step in cultivation, and this would require but little 

 forethought, would be to sow the seeds of useful plants; 

 and as the soil near the hovels of the natives 10 would often be 

 in some degree manured, improved varieties would sooner or 

 later arise. Or a wild and unusually good variety of a native 

 plant might attract the attention of some wise old savage ; 

 and he would transplant it, or sow its seed. That superior 

 varieties of wild fruit-trees occasionally are found is certain, 

 as in the case of the American species of hawthorns, plums, 

 cherries, grapes, and hickories, specified by Professor Asa 

 Gray. 11 Downing also refers to certain wild varieties of the 

 hickory, as being "of much larger size and finer flavour than 

 the common species." I have referred to American fruit-trees, 

 because we are not in this case troubled with doubts whether 

 or not the varieties are seedlings which have escaped from 

 cultivation. Transplanting any superior variety, or sowing 

 its seeds, hardly implies more forethought than might be 

 expected at an early and rude period of civilisation. Even 

 the Australian barbarians "have a law that no plant bearing 

 seeds is to be dug up after it has flowered ; " and Sir G. Grey 12 

 never saw this law, evidently framed for the preservation of 

 the plant, violated. We see the same spirit in the super- 

 stitious belief of the Fuegians, that killing water-fowl whilst 

 very young will be followed by " much rain, snow, blow 

 much." 13 I may add, as showing forethought in the lowest 

 barbarians, that the Fuegians when they find a stranded 

 whale bury large portions in the sand, and during the often- 

 recurrent famines travel from great distances for the remnants 

 of the half-putrid mass. 



It has often been remarked 14 that we do not owe a single 



10 In Tierra del Fuego the spot 1845, p. 261. 



where wigwams had formerly stood 12 'Journals of Expeditions in Aus- 



could be distinguished at a great tralia,' 1841, vol. ii. p. 292. 

 distance by the bright green tint of I3 Darwin's ' Journal of Researches,' 



the native vegetation. 1845, p. 215. 



11 'American Acad, of Arts and l4 De Candollo has tabulated the 

 Sciences,' April 10th, 1860, p. 413, facts in the most interesting manner 

 Downing, ' The Fruits of America,' in his ' Gebgraphie Bot.,' p. 986 



