1803.] botanical notes, notices, and queries. 447 



Extracts from Correspondence. 



I have now before me in my veranda where I am writing, a plant of 

 an Orchid apparently new, for it agrees with none of those figured by Du- 

 petit Thouars or Richard as belonging to the African islands ; it was 

 gathered on the top of the Bruce mountain, which rises in all its majesty 

 above me to 2800 feet. We have glorious mountain scenery here, and I 

 enjoy scrambling among the precipices of the scarped Trap rocks, of which, 

 and their debris, this entire island is composed : miich progress has been 

 made with its flora, and this year I hope to make a good raid on the 

 OrcJdclacece and the Cinchonacefe, which are numerous and very interest- 

 ing ; the Grasses and the Ci/peracece I have nearly completed. 



Ph. B. Ayres. 



Civil Sospital, Port Louis, Mauritius, Oct. 5, 1862. 



Scottish Botany. — Cromarty Plants. 

 Rosa sjiutosissima, H. villosa, R. tomentosa, Trientalis enropira (out of 

 bloom), Jstragalus Hypoglottis, Coclilearla anglica, Suxifrarja stellaris, S. 

 aizoides, Pinguicula vulgaris (in seed), NetrtUecium ossi/ragum, Trlglochht, 

 palustre, T. maritima, Carex paucifiora, Galium boreale, Antennaria dioica, 

 Festuca ovinia, var. vivipara, Melampyrum sylvaticum, Pyrola minor, Rubus 

 saxatilis, Circaa alpina, Gentiana canipestris (white and l)lue), Mertensia 

 maritima, Rubus Chamamorus, Lycopodiicm Selago, L. alpina. Sisymbrium 

 Sophia, Parnassia palustris. H. C. 



PiNUS sylvestris. 

 Botanists in these modern critical times are always careful to inform us 

 that the Scotch Pine is not a native of England ; and possibly they may 

 be right in their judgment. But they might, with about as much truth, 

 assert that it is not a native of Scotland ; for in many, if not in most parts 

 of the northern portion of our island, it is planted. It would be more 

 correct to describe it as a native of Great Britain, though in most places, 

 like other useful plants and trees, it is cultivated. Simplex. 



Eowan-Tree. (Pyrus Aucuparia, Mountain Ash.) 

 Miss Kent, in her ' Sylvan Sketches,' makes the following remarks : — 

 " lu former times this tree was supposed to be possessed of the property 

 of driving away witches and evil spirits ;" and this property is alluded to 

 in one of the stanzas of a very ancient song, called the " Laidley Worm of 

 Spindleton's Heuglis," — 



" Their spells were vain, the boys retiu'ned 

 To the queen in sorrowful mood, 

 Crying that ' Witches have no power 

 Where there is Rowan-tree wood.' " 



Loudon, in his ' Arboretum,' says, " The last line of this stanza leads 

 to the true reading of a stanza in Shakespeare's tragedy of ' Macbeth ;' 

 the sailor's wife, on the witches recjuesting some chestnuts, hastily an- 

 swers, ' A rown-tree, witch!' but many of the editions have it, ' Aroint 

 thee, witch,' which is evidently a corruption." Nares and Hallivvell say 

 " Aroint thee " is correct. If your readers can say anything in support of 

 Loudon, I wish to hear what it is. S. B. 



