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known of the species, apparently wild, in any part of Britain. It is 

 full a mile within the forest, and surrounded with dense underwood. 

 Thin and decrepid, quite bare of foliage below, it now extends its 

 lank arms a considerable height in air, and is only verdant at the 

 extremities of these lofty branches. In fact, it is in the last stage of 

 decay, and a few more years will probably leave it a mere weather- 

 battered trunk. Only this single tree of the Pyrus domestica has at 

 any time been found within the forest precincts, and how it got there 

 is unknown ; but, as it is probable there would have been others, if it 

 had been indigenous at the spot, the inference would seem to be that 

 it was brought from abroad. Mr. Lees at this time pointed out a 

 mound of broken stones and debris, now overgrown with brambles, 

 not far from the tree, which seemed like the ruins of an old dwelling, 

 and suggested that an hermitage might have been formerly there, and 

 the tree brought from Aquitaine, by some recluse in the time of 

 Edward III., when the English, under the Black Prince, occupied 

 that duchy. There was an undoubted feeling of superstitious protec- 

 tion attached to the tree, whose fruit was commonly said, by the 

 foresters living in the vicinity, " to keep out the witch " from their 

 habitations ; and for this reason they hung up the hard fruit, which 

 would remain a long time without decaying, in their houses. The tree 

 is commonly called, by the foresters the Whitty, or Witten, pear ; 

 perhaps derived from the old English word witten, to know, meaning 

 the wise tree. They distinguish it from the mountain ash, which 

 they simply call Witchen ; and though a protective power is attri- 

 buted to a stick of that tree, yet the " Whitty pear," they say, is 

 " stronger." So, in the ' Arabian Nights,' the Genius of the Lamp 

 was more powerful than the Genius of the Ring. 



From the worn-out " service-tree," the party progressed on, among 

 undulated oaken copses and watered ravines, to the brown horrors of 

 sylvan shades, where the dense underwood spread a cloak, repulsive 

 to observation ; but here and there an opening space exhibited an old 

 cliai coal-heap, characterized by a peculiar vegetation, which Nature 

 ever provides for secluded spots. Here was the Marchantia polymor- 

 pha, with its remarkable umbrella-like receptacles, spreading out like 

 stars (both barren and fertile) ; brilliant scarlet patches of the local 

 fungus, Thelephora carbonaria, contrasting so well with the black- 

 ened soil ; and the hygrometrical moss {Funaria Jiygrometica), always 

 following the track of fire along the charred gi-ound. Still proceed- 

 ing through mazes of gorse and bilberry-thickets, a great bog was 

 entered upon, embowered and completely surrounded by thick 



