286 LILIACE.E. 



and Aloes, with all the chief spices." The intoxicating liquor 

 called Pulque, in which the Mexicans delight, is drawn from 

 an American species of Aloe. A valuable medicine is obtained 

 from the Aloe. The Maritime Squill yields also an important 

 drug. The Hemp plants of Africa, America, and New Zea- 

 land also belong to this order. The two former are made into 

 articles of clothing, and of the latter bridges are formed, and 

 ropes, &c. The Leeks of Egypt, after which the carnal 

 Israelites longed, are members of the Lily tribe ; also the 

 Eschallot of Asia Minor, the Garlic of Sicily, and the Onion 

 of all countries. 



The first family in this tribe is the Asparagus (Asparagus 

 officinalis). Its chief British home is Asparagus Island, opposite 

 Kynance Cove, Cornwall; but Fanny could not go there, so 

 we have no specimen. The family is easily recognised by the 

 narrow leaves, which fall off as soon as they begin to fade, 

 and by the scarlet berries. Our edible Asparagus is a native 

 of the Crimea, and is also wild in Siberia and in Japan. 



The Butcher's Broom family is the second in the tribe. 

 Our one representative is the nearest approach to a tree which 

 we have in our British One-lobed class (Eiiscus aculeatus). 

 It is a curious little shrub, with very stiff sharp -pointed 

 leaves, which butchers used to stick about their meat, in the 

 expectation that the flies would spear themselves upon them. 

 The flowers grow from the centre of the leaf, and are followed 

 by sessile scarlet berries. The male and female flowers are 

 on different plants. My specimens are from a garden, for I 

 have never found the Butcher's Broom wild. 



Yorkshire has the honour of contributing the Lily of the 

 Valley (Convallaria majalis, Plate XVL, fig. 8), the favourite 

 member of the family to which it gives its name. I have 

 wild specimens from woods near Thornton, and from Studley, 

 in the Eipon neighbourhood ; but never did I see Lilies of the 

 Valley in such profusion as in the woods about Weinheim in 

 the Duchy of Baden. The plant grows very freely in Wilts, 



