Ill 



BEUHKK1S. 



quite entire, glaucous on the under side ; flower* mulitnrj, on slender 

 rtlki twice u long as the leaves. A native of the south-wwU-ru part 

 .th America, from the Strait of Magalhaens to Valdivia, wnsn 

 it forms a small evergreen bush. Its fruit is round, black, about as 

 large as a pea ; it is aaid to be sweet and well suited for making tarts 



. keteropkgtta, Various-Learod Barberry. Spines strong, 3-parted ; 

 leaves obovate, lanceolate, acute, either entire >r with from three to 

 fire spiny teeth, very deep green ; flowers solitary, on stalks about 

 twice as long as the leaves. An inelegant bush about three feet high, 

 bare of leaven, and having nothing but its rarity to recommend it ; it 

 U a native of the Strait of Magalhaens ; in the gardens it is usually 

 called B. ilicifulia ; there is a figure of it in Hooker's ' Exotic Flora,' 

 vol. L, t 14. 



/(. KutitrlrifiJia, C'rowberry-Lcaved Barberry. Spines slender, long, 

 in three or five deep divisions ; leaves linear, with a spiny point, rolled 

 back at the edge, collected in bundles in the axils of the spines ; flowers 

 solitary, growing on stalks about as long as the leaves. A very curious 

 and pretty plant, found wild from the Cordilleras of Chili to the 

 southern point of the American continent, over the whole of which 

 country it appears to be very common. In general aspect it is much 

 more like a Heath than a Barberry. 



Besides these species there are several of great beauty aa evergreen 

 shrubs in South America. 



4. Leant* leathery, evergreen ; Plowert in racemet. 



S. jloribunda, Many-Flowered Barberry. Spines very stiff", and 

 3-parted ; leaves oblong or oblong-lanceolate, nearly entire or toothed 

 in various degrees, sometimes very deeply and coarsely veined ; flowers 

 in long loose slender racemes. Apparently extremely common in the 

 whole of the north of India, where it forms n tall bush, varying con- 

 siderably in the size and form of the leaves, and in the degree in 

 which they are toothed, but always well marked by its slender, pen- 

 dulous, or erect racemes of flowers, which are much longer than the 

 leaves, and in no degree corymbose. It is to be found occasionally in 

 the more choice collections of this country. Out of accidental varia- 

 tions in its mode of leafing and flowering, the spurious species called 

 B. a fait and B. cfratofihylla have been constituted. 



B. Afiatica, Raisin Barberry. Spines small and weak, simple or 

 3-parted ; leaves oblong or obovate, acute, somewhat glaucous beneath, 

 either entire or coarsely or even finely toothed ; flowers in short com- 

 pact racemes not longer than the leaves. Found in Nepaul and 

 Kamaon very abundantly, forming a tall bush with the habit of the 

 common European Barberry. The fruit is round, covered over with 

 a thick bloom, and has altogether the appearance of the finest rai -in-. 

 It is produced abundantly in this climate, where the plant, is now not 

 very uncommon. The very short racemes are the principal distinction 

 of this species when in flower. 



B. dealbata, Whitened Barberry. Spines scarcely any ; leaves 

 roundish, coarsely-toothed, rather glaucous, white beneath ; racemes 

 very short and compact, pendulous. A native of Mexico. It is a tall 

 slender evergreen bush, with deep-brown branches and scarcely any 

 spines. The leaves are sometimes wedge-shaped and 3-toothed, but 

 more frequently nearly round, with two or three spiny teeth on each 

 side. It is sometimes called in the gardens by mistake U. glauca, 

 which is a different species. 



B. arittata, Bristle-Leaved Barberry. Spines 3-partcd, simple, or 

 wanting ; leaves obovate, acute, shining on both sides, with a few 

 bristle-pointed teeth on either edge; racemes always more or less 

 compound and corymbose. A native of the mountain* of Hindustan, 

 extending from the Himalayas down the Nilgherry Hills as far as 

 Adam's Peak in Ceylon. It is a hardy sub-evergreen bush in the 

 gardens. 



Section IL Lema pinnated ; all erergret*. ASH-BARBERRIES. 



S. fateieularit, f'alifornian Ash-Barberry. Leaflets ovate, finely- 

 toothed, not shining; 11., worn in short compact clusters; stem tall 

 and woody. Found in the moutainous parts of California and Mexico. 

 A very handsome evergreen shrub, with pinnated leaves which are by 

 DO means shining, and of a paler green than several of the others. 



M, Armui dirrrri ful lit of the gardens seems to be the same as this ; 

 ami the story of its having been brought from Monte Video is probably 

 not true. 



B. Aii/'Jiu,:i. Holly-Leaved Ash-Barlierry. Leaflets ovate-lanceo- 

 late, flat, deeply and regularly toothed, remarkably shining ; flowers 

 in long narrow racemes; stem tail and woody. A native of North- 

 West America from California to Nuotka Sound, growing in woods, 

 where it forms a rich and thick underwood. IU foliage is of a rich 

 deep shining green, becoming purple in tin? winter; it bears fruit in 

 K'.III.. abundance, which consists of clusters of roundish black berries, 

 having their surface covered with a rich violet bloom. 'I'll, y ha\c no 

 merit as fruit, but would probably be greedily sought by gam.', for 

 the protection of which in coverts this npecies seems well ad;, , 

 it could only be obtained in sufficient quantity. The difficulty of 

 propagating it has hitherto made it a scarce plant ; but seeds might 

 be easily obtained from the Hudson's Bay Company's settlements in 

 North-Went America. It most resembles B. fateiealarit, from which 

 its large shining leaves at once distinguish it ; niul it in perfectly hardy, 



BERK 



wliieli that species in not : flowers in May and June. It has been figured 

 in the ' Botanical Register,' voL xvil, plate 14'J.V 



B. repnu, Creeping Ash-Barberry. Leaflets few, somewhat glu , . 

 especially on the under side, oblong, when ,.!>t rounded at the point, 

 with shallow toothings ; flowers in crowded compound 'erect racemes; 

 stem very dwarf; runs at the root Found wild on the east c. 

 the Rocky Mountains of North America, and perfectly hur.lv in our 

 gardens. Its stems do not grow above six or nine inclies hi^i 

 are loaded with a profusion of rich yellow flowers, which 0011- 

 the principal beauty of the specie*. Its fmit in unknown. A good 

 figure of it has been published in the ' Botanical Register,' vol. xiv., 

 plate 1176. Nothing can be more unlike li. Ai/uifulium than this is, 

 although the two have occasionally been most unaccountably con- 

 founded. 



Jl. ylumacea, Long-Leaved Ash-Barberry. Leaflets numerous, ovate- 

 lanceolate, coarsely toothed, of a dull glaucous green ; flower.- in I. nig 

 narrow erect racemes; stem very dwarf; scales of the leiif an, I 

 flower-buds stiff and glumaceous. A native of North-West America, 

 growing in shady grassy places in woods. The stem of this specie* 

 does not grow more than six or eight inches high, and is h 

 shorter than its leaves, which consist of about six pairs with an odd 

 one, and are jointed at every pair of leaflets in the manner of a bamboo 

 stem. The fruit is roundish and insipid, of a fine glaucous purple. 

 This is less rare than B. Agaifolium, and is on object of curiosity 

 more than of utility. It loves to grow in a shaded American bonier. 

 where it is protected from the fiercer rays of the sun. It is figured in 

 the 'Botanical Register.' vol. xvii., plate 1426. Berberit or Mahonia 

 nenota is another name for this species. 



In addition to these there are the following species : Berberit La- 

 chenaultii (the B. Acanthi/alia of some), a fine pinnated plant with 

 round black fruit, found on the Nilgherry Mountains of In.lia at tin- 

 elevation of 8000 feet. Berberit Ntpaltmtt, a native- of tlie mountains 

 of the north of India, where, according to Dr. Royle, it grows tw-.-he 

 feet high in shady places, at 5000 and 6000 feet of elevation : 

 a noble species, and ought to be obtained from India at any cost, as it 

 would in all probability succeed in this climate. Berberit Im 

 Ihoidet, with not more than one or two pairs of leaflets, found along 

 the banks of the river Kur, near Tiflis ; and Berberit caraijanirfoliii, 

 a Chinese plant very like the last : both the latter have the points of 

 the leaves hardened into spines. 



BERCHEMIA, a genus of plants belonging to the natural order 

 Rhamnacea. Two species B.rotidiUiaanAB. lincato. are used in medicine. 



BERENUELITE, a mineral resin from South America, soluble in 

 alcohol. 



BERENICE. [Ac.M.KPH*.] 



BEREKI'CKA, a celluliferous Coralline Fossil, of which B. dilurianti 

 is an example, in the Oolite of Wilts. 



ItKUiiAMnT. [CiTnrs.] 



BERG-ERA, a genus of plants ItelonRing to the natnr.il order 

 A urantiacete. Jl. JiOniyii possesses stomachic and tonic properties, and 

 an infusion of the leaves is used against vomiting. The green leaves 

 are used raw in dysentery ; the bark and roots are stimulant. 



BERGIA, a genus of plants belonging to the natural order 

 Elatinacece, and named by Linmcus in honour of I'eter Jonas BergiuH, 

 Professor of Natural History at Stockholm. It has a f>-]iart<-d calyx, 

 5 petals, 10 stamens, 5 styles, approximate capsules, 6-cellc, 1 

 5-valved. The species are insignificant weeds inhabiting moist places. 

 Jl. Ammanoidtt, according to Dr. Wright, is an inhabitant of th 

 Indies and bears the Tamool name of Neer-mel-neripoo, or \\ 

 Fin-. Ilr. Lindley calls attention to this name as rewmbliiu; our 

 Water-Pepper, a name given to the Elatine, the type of the order to 

 which Lindley lias referred Beryia. Two other species are nati 

 the Cape and one of Java. (Lindley, Vegetable Kingdom; Don, 

 />ir/tlitmifdtou* Plantt.) 



I'.KIiCKALK, in Geology, the Gorman term for our Mountain 

 Limestone. 



BERCMKHL (Mountain Meal), a name given in Sweden to an earth 

 which the inhabitants of the districts w hei-e it ..c.urs have fr-.i 

 immemorial regarded as nutritious. It occurs in Sweden on the 

 shores of Lake Letnaggsjohn near Urnea and mixed with Hour t.hi-t 

 substance has in times of scarcity been used for hn-ad. I 

 examined by Ehrenberg, who found it to contain the remains of 

 several species of JJiatomaerir. Ho considered this fact would 

 account for its nutritious pro|H-rtii-s. The vegetable m:i' 

 contained in the silicioun friistules of these minute plants must bo 

 exceedingly small, and further evidence would be ivquii- 

 dciroiistmti- that this substance really contributed to the nup] 

 those who ate it The occurrence of the /'/> to the 



indestructible nature of their frustulcs or skel nuon. 



[DlATOUAl 1 



HERO Y IT, the namo of a Fish, also called the Norway Haddock, 



the ' 



e r-'iiiiifii* A.., . <//, iu of Cuvier. [SKBASTEB.] 



P.K'IUS, a genus of Dipterous Infects, of the family AV"/''"'.'/ ; ''"- 

 The species of this genus are small metallic-coloured flies, which 

 frequent the leaves of plants. Their larv.i feed on putn-cent wood. 

 The generic characters are as follows : Body narrow ; palpi minute, 

 the third joint thick, ned a little at the extremity ; the two first joints 

 of the antenna; equal, third elongate subulate ; eyes puboKccnt ; the 



