SOLANUM. 165 



these animals; and Galen tells us, that the hunters used to 

 eat the foxes in the autumn, after they had grown fat by feed- 

 ing upon the grapes. 



ESTHER. 



And Theocritus says, complaining of their depredations, 

 ^'1 hate those brush-tailed foxes, that each night 

 Spoil Micon's vineyards with their deadly bile." 

 MRS. F. 



The lizard is a great depredator of the grapes in the island 

 of Madeira, where rats and wasps are also very destructive. 

 The lizard swarms in Madeira, and a traveller mentions a 

 simple expedient by which numbers were caught. It was 

 merely this: a brass kettle was placed upon the ground, into 

 which the lizards fell when running about in quest of food. 

 The smooth sides of the kettle prevented them from escaping, 

 and thus numbers were taken without any difficulty. The 

 same writer mentions a circumstance which refers to our 

 original conversation respecting the dogs. It is this: that in 

 the month of September, when the vintage begins, it is neces- 

 sary to tie up all the dogs, these animals being so fond of 

 grapes, that it is requisite to exclude them from the vine- 

 yards. 



ESTHER. 



Mamma, this Solanum is at last in bloom. 



Solanum Sodomeum. 



