Bilberry and Heather 213 
but when perfectly ripe is a very desirable fruit, 
especially when it is considered that October and 
November are the months during which it may be 
found fit for eating. The Latin name wnedo signifies 
that to eat one is enough, the inference being that 
the inviting appearance is not borne out by the 
taste, but those who have found it a regular item of 
dessert in Southern France declare that the name 
is misapphed. 
The Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-wrsi) is very 
similar to the Arbutus in the form of its flowers, 
though the cells of the ovary and the ovules differ 
from it in number, but whilst that is a small tree, 
this is a depressed, trailing, evergreen shrub, growing 
on rocky heaths and moors in the North, where its 
berries are largely patronised by grouse. In other 
lands they are said to be favourite morsels with 
bears, and all the names of the plant seek to impress 
this upon us. The flesh is dry and mealy, and 
therefore not of a character to commend itself for 
human consumption. 
The true Heaths are contained in the genus Erica, 
and the most abundant example is the Purple Heath 
(Erica cinerea), which gives its fine colour to moor- 
land and mountain. This has smooth leaves arranged 
three in a whorl on the stem, and the egg-shaped 
flowers are also in many whorls one above the other. 
The Cross-leaved Heath (Z. tetralix) is as widely 
distributed, though not occurring in such extensive 
masses, but its larger flowers make it a better 
subject for description. In all essential particulars 
the flowers are like those of the Purple Heath, but 
the whole plant is downy, and the leaves are in 
