BARBERRY AND BRAMBLE 



into its mouth. If one copies this with the hand it is easy 

 to see how the length and arrangement of the prickles and 

 the flexible nature of the spray would make such a pro- 

 ceeding on the cow's part most uncomfortable. 



So also in the Barberry, the young juicy upright shoots 

 which spring from the older branches have stout three to 

 seven-branched prongs pointing downwards, of the most 

 efficient character. Each is really a modified leaf and is 

 found below each bud. Even the mere idea of an animal's 

 tender lips or tongue tearing at these shoots from below 

 gives one a momentary shudder. In the younger, wavy 

 branches of the Barberry the spines are straighter or more 

 diverging. The young leaves of the short bud above 

 alluded to are also most efficiently protected by their spines. 

 The Hawthorn has a curious arrangement of very long stout 

 thorns, behind which the leaves are sheltered. The younger 

 flexible branches have smaller spines, which become efficient 

 in winter and tend to prevent animals from eating the bark. 

 The Cockspur thorns are 4 to 5 J inches long, and extremely 

 like the spur of a gamecock. 



Bramble prickles are generally curved back in order to 

 hook or cling to the branches of other trees, but any one 

 who has tried to force his way through a clump of brambles 

 knows the difficulty of doing so. The loops made by the 

 branches fixing themselves in the ground (see p. 93) were 

 at one time given credit for healing various diseases. Chil- 

 dren in Gloucestershire used to be dragged backwards and 

 forwards under these loops ; in Cornwall also people afflicted 

 with boils were made to crawl under them. Even cows 

 when suffering from paralysis (supposed to be due to a 

 shrew-mouse walking over them) were dragged through the 

 Bramble-loop, in which case Professor Buckman remarks, " If 



183 



