BRITISH EVERGREENS. 191 



being confined to one side by the stone^ forms a good canopy over the 

 fish; but its leaves are very much eaten by the mollusks, which swim 

 freely about at the surface, shell downwards, with the foot hollowed, and 

 guided by an undulating motion of its edges, exhibiting a very curious 

 specimen of locomotion. They crawl along the under surface of the floating 

 leaves, and are so nearly balanced in the water, that I have observed one 

 turning back on the end of a long slender fibre, which scarcely bent under 

 its weight; and at the bottom and sides they crawl about like the Common 

 Snail. The Ancylus Fluviatilis, also shifts its position freely, adhering indif- 

 ferently either to the glass sides, or to the stones at the bottom. They deposit 

 masses of spawn attached to the leaves, which are probably devoured by the 

 fish soon after being hatched, as comparatively very few young Snails are 

 observed; and I have often seen the old fish take some minute object from 

 the leaves, and from the mud at the bottom. 



East Looe, May 26th., 1853. 



BRITISH EVERGREENS.— No. I. 



BY J. Mc'iNTOSH, ESQ. 



Ilex, (The Solly,) Tetrandria Tetragynia. 



"0 Reader! hast thou ever stood to see 



The Holly-tree?" Southey. 



Ilex Aquifolium. — As an ornamental evergreen, whether looked upon in the 

 form of a tree, or as a shrub, the Holly is one of the most beautiful we 

 possess, and few trees have proved more fertile of poetical allusions than this 

 deserving favourite. The name 'Holly' seems to be a corruption of the word 

 'Holy.' Turner, in his "Herbal," calls it Holy, and Holy Tree, no doubt 

 from its being used to commemorate the holy time of Christmas, not only 

 in churches, but in our dwelling-houses. The German, Danish, and Swedish 

 names of the Holly, namely, Christdorn, Christorn, and Christtorn, seem to 

 us to justify this conjecture. The custom of placing evergreens in places of 

 religious worship is of very ancient date, as we find from Scripture that it 

 was in use before the introduction of Christianity. — See chapters xl, xli, li, and 

 Iv, of the Prophet Isaiah; and in chapter viii of the Book of Nehemiah we 

 thus read, ''Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine 

 branches, and myrtle branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths. 

 So the people went forth and brought them, and made themselves booths, 

 every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts 

 of the house of God." 



The use made of Holly at Christmas is well known throughout Europe and 

 America, but the origin of the practice is very uncertain. (Is there any 

 reader of "The Naturalist" who would kindly furnish any information he may 

 possess on this subject?) It was made use of by the early Christians at 



