no The Ottawa Naturalist. [September 



December the hedges which line the lanes and roadv/ays, and 

 separate the fields are dazzling with the profusion of its lovely 

 blossoms, while the air is redolent with their fragrance. The 

 colour varies from pure \\liite — the rarest — through every shade 

 of pink and red to a deep scarlet, a charming relief to the 

 monotony of the ubiquitous Cedar. Probably locality and soil 

 may have something to do with its varied hues. So abundant 

 has this shrub become from the distribution of its seeds that it 

 is looked upon as a nuisance by the agriculturists, and it is 

 regularly used as fuel. The more, however, it is cut, unless the 

 roots are extracted, the more bushy it grows. Jn its native 

 -growth in Bermuda, the cultivated specimens of more northern 

 climes sink into insignificance. It is said to possess poisonous 

 qualities, and fowls have been known to die from drinking water 

 that stood under its leaves. A shrub very easily mistaken for 

 the Oleander from the similarity of its foliage, is the Dodoncca 

 BurinanmcDia, a branchmg shrub with green tlowers. 



The Myrtle {Myrtus comniunis) although a garden shrub, 

 is found abundantly escaped from cultivation, and another 

 shrub very easily confounded with it, the Bermuda or Surinam 

 Cherry (E?/gcum Ugni), grows abundantly by the wayside. Its 

 fruit is about the size of, and not unlike a red cherry, five-angled, 

 of a delicate waxy texture, and pleasant taste, much' sought 

 after by children. Its flowers are white like those of the myrtle, 

 for which it can be very easily mistaken. 



The Laurestinus ( Vihernnvi Tinns), a compact little ever- 

 green with showy clusters of white flowers, is a garden shrub, 

 but has escaped. I found it in abundance flourishing on the 

 rock)' side of a lane leading to Hungary Bay. 



The Orange {Citrus) and the Lemon {C. Limcmnvi) may be 

 seen here and there outside of and on the edge of gardens and 

 shrubberies, but are by no means in a healthy condition, owing 

 to insect ravages. Their brilliant smooth shining leaves are 

 thickly interspersed with dead wood, and present an air of 

 neglect and decay. Years ago Bermuda was famed for the fruit 

 of these trees, but the scale insect and a blight of some descrip- 



