16 THE BOOK OF THE OPEN AIR 



late as the middle of the last century under the name of " Germane olive 

 it occurred in " considerable plenty " spurge " or " dwarf e Bay tree, called 

 in the rough stony ground about St. of Dutchmen Mezereon," says that it 

 Lawrence in the Isle of Wight. In " growes naturally in moist and shadow 

 both localities the plant has now woods of most of the East countries, 

 become exceedingly scarce, but in the especially about Nelvin in Poland, 

 spring of 1888 some six or seven plants from whence," he adds, " I have had 

 were in flower on Selborne Hill. great plenty for my garden, where 

 -As early as the month of January, they flower in the first of the spring, 

 unless the season be exceptionally and ripen their fruit in August." 

 severe, the spurge laurel (Daphne Ray, again, does not include it in his 

 laureola) will be flowering in many of Synopsis of British plants. Still it 

 our woods. This handsome evergreen is considered by Babbington and other 

 shrub, at first sight not unlike a rho- distinguished authorities to be a na- 

 dodendron, but with inconspicuous tive plant ; and it certainly appears 

 yellow-green flowers, is highly poison- to be indigenous in the counties of 

 ous, and like the hellebore was for- Sussex and Hants. In his Gardeners' 

 merly employed as a horse medicine. Dictionary, published in 1752, Miller 

 For this purpose it used to be gathered says, "There have been many of 

 in the Sussex woods, and taken to the these plants taken out of some woods 

 Chichester and Portsmouth markets near Andover in Hampshire." In 1778 

 for sale. A near relative of the spurge Gilbert White records it as growing 

 or wood-laurel, but far rarer, is the on " Selborne Hanger among the shrubs 

 beautiful Daphne mezereum, whose frag- at the south-east end above the cot- 

 rant pink flowers appear before the tages." In the middle of the last 

 leaves early in March, and are fol- century it is reported as occurring in 

 lowed by bright scarlet berries. This the woods about Bishop's Sutton, 

 most attractive shrub, though not West Meon, and other places in Hamp- 

 uncommon in cottage gardens, is now shire. Since then the records of its 

 scarce in a wild state, and is very existence have been few and doubtful, 

 seldom met with. It is curious that and repeated search has failed to find 

 the older botanists are silent as to the it on Selborne Hill. It was feared 

 occurrence of this plant in Britain, that the plant had become extinct, 

 Gerarde, who includes it in his Herbal owing, at any rate in part, to the 



