THE WILLOW. 101 
CHAPTER VIIL 
THE WILLOW— NUMBER OF VARIETIES — NAPOLEON’S WILLOW 
— CURLED WILLOW — ELM—BIRCH — POPLAR — ASPEN — 
LOMBARDY POPLAR—TULIP TREE—THE YEW—FLOWEBR- 
ING TREES—THE MAGNOLIA. 
> 4 Y the rivers of Babylon there 
: ‘et we sat down; yea, we wept 
pond i , ’ 
Ws when we remembered Zion. 
Sa We hanged our harps upon 
the willows in the midst there- 
ef. 7s | Ps, exxxyud Lo: 
This beautiful and poetic allusion, 
undoubtedly refers to the Weeping 
Willow, which was formerly very abun- 
dant in the environs of Babylon, whence 
arises its botanical name, Salix Babylonica. The 
word Salix is derived from the Celtic, and means 
near water, referring to the general habit of all the 
willows of frequenting watery places. They often 
give a very picturesque appearance to the landscape, 
as they spread their branches, covered with the most 
beautiful foliage, over the smooth surface of the 
water, or gracefully dip their long slender boughs 
into the stream. 
But we may imagine that, however beautiful was 
the effect thus produced, it must have possessed but 
9 * 
3 
ff 
m 
iB, & Cot 
oer, 
