THE YELLOW RATTLE 



or crevice ; it then sends the sinker-root mentioned above 

 into the branch. 



Every year afterwards new mistletoe " roots " are formed 

 which grow through the soft part of the bark and send down 

 sinkers into the wood. Cases *of Mistletoes forty years old 

 have been recorded. The trees which they prefer are the 

 Apple, and after that Black Poplar, though mistletoe may 

 be found on Silver Fir, various Pines, and others. It is 

 more difficult to get it to grow on the Oak than on any 

 other tree. Indeed, only seven cases of mistletoe growing on 

 oak have been recorded in this country.^ It is quite a valu- 

 able crop in some places, and is sent in tons to the London 

 market. 



There are many species of Mistletoe, and at least one kind 

 attacks, and is parasitic upon, another species of Mistletoe. 



Most Mistletoes and Loranthus have their own green 

 leaves, and only take from the plant to which they are 

 attached sap and mineral salts. But in Chile there is a 

 beautiful Loranthus that has practically no green leaves at 

 all. Its blood-red flowers grow in dense masses upon the 

 giant Cactus, which is common on the drier hills, and these 

 are always mistaken for the Cactus's own flowers, which are 

 quite different. These almost leafless Loranthus, and the 

 curious Arceuthobium are more parasitic than ordinary 

 mistletoes, for they obviously take other food material 

 (probably sugar and albuminoids) from their " host.**' 



Another series of parasites or cannibals are quite common 

 in Great Britain. One often sees in some meadow that the 

 grasses are growing in a scanty and unhealthy manner ; one 

 then notices amongst them numbers of the Yellow Rattle or 

 the Eyebright (which the Germans call Milkthief). These 

 ^ Dr. Bull, Journal of Botany t vol. 2, p. 273. 

 334 



