46 THE WONDERS OF VEGETATION. 



fully, but some rare species were for a long time over- 

 looked, though they belong to the countries first dis- 

 covered and though they ought to have attracted at- 

 tention by the special features by which they are dis- 

 tinguished. To this number belongs the cow-tree, 

 the arbre d lait (milk-tree) of the French. This tree 

 is one of the most remarkable of Central America, and 

 yet it was not known to Europe as late as the begin- 

 ning of the present century. It was on the 1st of 

 March, 1800, that Humboldt and Bonpland observed it 

 on the Barbula Farm during their expedition to the 

 valleys of Aragua. 



Cow-Tree. 



An ancient writer, Lact, had mentioned it briefly 

 in his Novus orbis : "In the province of Cumana," 

 says he, " there are trees which, when their bark is 

 pierced, pour out an aromatic resin ; while others yield 

 a juice, which resembles curdled milk, fit for food." 



This solitary observation is obviously vei-y ineom- 



