70 FOOTNOTES FROM 



also covered with these characters. When you remove 

 a piece of old bark, the young bark under it exhibits the 

 indistinct outlines of characters in a germinating state, 

 and what is very singular, these new characters are not 

 unfrequently different from those which they replace. 

 We examined everything with the closest attention, in 

 order to detect some trace of trickery, but we could 

 discern nothing of the sort ; and the perspiration actually 

 trickled down our faces under the influence of the sensa- 

 tions which this most amazing spectacle created. More 

 profound intellects than ours may, perhaps, be able to 

 supply a satisfactory explanation of the mysteries of this 

 singular tree; but as to us, we altogether give it up." 

 Botanists whose severe love of truth overcomes in most 

 cases their poetical inclinations, have thrown considerable 

 doubt upon this story, even though related by mission- 

 aries of a respectable character. It appears to be in 

 some particulars considerably indebted to an ardent ima- 

 gination, but it might, nevertheless, be true enough in 

 its main facts. Divested of its apparent embellishments 

 and exaggerations, the tree might be found after all to 

 be only an exotic species of plane or sycamore, covered 

 with immense patches of the written lichen, which it 

 is well known to botanists occurs in greater profusion 

 and attains a larger size in tropical than in temperate 

 countries. Many exotic, -and one or two European 

 lichens, occur on living leaves. These are principally 

 developed on the upper surface, sometimes only super- 

 ficially connected with the leaves, which afford them a 

 basis 01 attachment and growth; and at other times 

 originating like the' fungi beneath the true cuticle, form- 



