OCTOBER, 1 88 1. 75 



was coated with a luxuriant growth of grey moss, against 

 and amongst which the gay berries hung strangely, like 

 the bright cheeks of wholesome age when their owner's 

 locks are like the snow. We continue peering into the 

 foliage, when we come suddenly upon what to our eyes 

 is a novelty. We rarely, indeed, recollect finding berries 

 growing freely on the yew tree, but here on some magnifi- 

 cent old yews of Lochnell we find the dark green foliage 

 all dotted over with the beautiful, quaint red berries. 

 These are certainly somewhat " fushionless," but we 

 believe quite innocuous, and many eat them with im- 

 punity, while a preserve is made from them by others. 

 Seldom, however, are they procurable in such multitudes 

 as on these noble trees this season, and we are quite 

 charmed with the elegance of the dark branches, with 

 their finely-coloured drops of luscious-looking jelly hang- 

 ing underneath the foliage. Here and there a number 

 of small " acorns " hung alongside the gayest berries, 

 caused by the undeveloped disc of the female flower 

 having taken the appearance of the cup of an acorn, in 

 place of completing its growth into the surrounding jelly. 

 We were forcibly reminded of the interesting transforma- 

 tion witnessed by Gill in the mountains of Thibet and 

 Northern China, where the holly ran into the oak and 

 the oak into the chesnut, for here was the yew with imi- 

 tation oak berries alongside its more perfect fruits, show- 

 ing how slight is the difference in development between 

 them. 



Can a rational pig swim, or an ordinary pig swim 

 rationally ? That is the question ! We are crossing the 

 ferry in the aristrocatic company of four good pigs, and 

 as we approach the landing-place the growing excitement 

 of the porcine mind culminates when we are still within 



