100 GENUS ERl'CA, HEATHS. 



the southern parts of Africa. The country about 

 the Cape of Good Hope especially abounds with 

 them ; the Cape alone, it is said, producing more 

 than two hundred and fifty species. It is remark- 

 able that this genus has not yet been discovered 

 in New Holland, Asia, or the continent of Ame- 

 rica ; and, what is still more extraordinary, it does 

 not occur between the tropics, although found 

 both in the Northern and Southern hemispheres 

 in corresponding latitudes. The heaths in general 

 are not fragrant, but the Eri'ca o'dor-ro'sea has a 

 scent like otto of roses, and the tenuiflo'ra has the 

 odour of a carnation. 



Our native heaths, of which there are five, 

 though inferior to the foreign species, are very 

 beautiful. The most common, vulga'ris, is very 

 useful to the poor inhabitants of the north of Scot- 

 land, who make beds, and thatch the roofs of their 

 cottages, with it. In England and Ireland, brooms 

 are made of its branches ; and in the island of 

 Islay, one of the Western Isles, ale is sometimes 

 made of the young tops, with the addition of a 

 little malt. Bees extract a great deal of honey 

 from the flow'ers of heath. 



Here is a drawing of the Mezereon, [PLATE 10.] 

 a plant in the order Monogynia of this class ; 

 which you must be contented with for this year, as 

 the plant itself flowers in February and March, 

 and is now out of blow. 



