26 D10ECIA. 



In the mythology of the ancients, Smilax, a beau- 

 tiful shepherdess, who was beloved by Crocus, was 

 metamorphosed into a Yew-tree, and Crocus was 

 changed into a flower which has since borne his name, 

 well known to us as the harbinger of spring. 



It has been much debated whether the yew tree 

 be poisonous or not; but, from numerous and well- 

 attested facts, the poisonous quality of its leaves is now 

 well ascertained, and if eaten by horses and cows, 

 very small quantities produce certain death j neverthe- 

 less, some intelligent persons assert, that the branches 

 of yew, w r hile green, are not noxious, because yew- 

 trees are known to stand for many years in fields, and 

 no bad consequences have ensued; but this may be 

 accounted for from the natural habits of cattle to reject 

 it, and no pressing necessity occuring to oblige them 

 to resort to it. Professor Martyn says, from his own 

 knowledge, that a horse tied to a yew hedge, or to a 

 faggot-stack of dead yew, has been found dead, be- 

 fore the owner could be aware that any danger was 

 at hand! that he lias several times, among his friends, 

 been a sorrowful witness to losses of this kind ; and in 

 the Isle of Ely he had once the mortification to see 

 nine young bullocks of his own all lying dead in a 

 heap, from browzing on a Yew hedge in an old gar- 

 den into which they had broken in snowy weather. 

 It is said that turkies, sheep, and deer, will crop 

 these trees with impunity. 



Yew-leaves are certainly fatal to the human spe- 

 cie. Caesar, in his Gallic war, relates that Cativolcus, 

 joint king of the Eburones, killed himself with yew, 



