198 OUR COMMON FETJITS. 



the present Latin title of the species, Fragaria, derived 

 from its fragrant perfume, identifies it with the fraga 

 enumerated among the field beauties with which Virgil 

 twines the verses of his "Third Eclogue;" and Ovid's 

 huge Polypheme, too, recounting the advantages which 

 the fair Galatea would derive from a matrimonial alliance 

 with his giantship, does not omit to adduce as one part 

 of the " settlement" he is anxious to make, " "With thine 

 own hands thou shalt thyself gather the soft strawberries 

 growing beneath .he woodland shade ;" though the imme- 

 diate addition, " Nor, I being thy husband, will there be 

 .-wanting to thee the fruit of the arbute-tree," considerably 

 , qualifies the compliment to the first-named fruit, in attri- 

 buting to the latter any comparative power of attraction. 

 It could hardly, however, be expected that the taste which 

 could enjoy supping oif shipwrecked mariner au naturel 

 could safely be trusted in the selection of a dessert ; and 

 at least the Cyclop was not singular in mentioning these 

 two productions in conjunction, for the philosopher Pliny 

 also confuses them, only distinguishing the one as the Tree 

 and the other as the Ground Strawberry, and citing it as 

 the only instance in which we find a similar fruit growing 

 upon a tree and also upon a creeping plant, thus strangely 

 suffering the fact of the two fruits being not very unequal 

 in size, and both being red and round, to outweigh the 

 most palpable differences in every other respect ; for nei- 

 ther in foliage, in blossom, nor, indeed, in its tasteless fruit, 

 except in the particulars just named, does the arbutus 

 show the least likeness to the Fragaria, though to this 

 day it commonly bears the name of the Strawberry-tree. 

 The ancient botanist does not seem, however, to have 

 been very familiar with the real strawberry, only speak- 

 ing of it as a natural production of Italy, but making no 

 mention of its being cultivated, or of the fruit being 

 brought to table* : yet^ if we may receive the testimony 

 of Soyer, it was tended in the gardens of Greece and 

 Rome, and its produce figured at the banquets of both 

 nations. 



Indigenous almost throughout Europe, and indeed in 

 most temperate parts of the world, the type of the race, 



