100 FIRST STEPS IN GENERAL KNOWLEDGE. 



tree itself?" asked Mary, " because I often gather 

 the little curled-up leaves to make cups and saucers 

 for my dolls." 



" And you would not like them to drink out of 

 poisoned cups," said Henry, laughing. 



" The leaves are very bitter," replied her father, 

 " and it is said that in those parts of Persia where 

 box-trees are common, it is impossible to keep 

 camels, because the animals cannot be prevented 

 from browsing on the leaves, which kill them ; yet, 

 on the other hand, we find that box-leaves have 

 sometimes been used instead of hops, to give a 

 bitter flavour to beer. The juices of plants of this 

 tribe must not, however, be all condemned as in- 

 jurious. The juice of a spurge* inhabiting Guayana 

 and Brazil yields the bottle India-rubber which 

 we are all familiar with." 



" Will you tell us how those bottles are made, 

 papa ?" said Mary. 



"They are made on clay moulds, which the 

 natives smear over with repeated layers of the 

 juice, drying it in the smoke. But we must pass on 

 to mention two small tribes, one of which, as its 

 only British specimen, contains our common crow- 



* Siphonia elastica. 



