CHAP. cm. 



SALICA'CEJE. PO PULUS. 



1528 



1G67 



consist of a clear mellow whistle, repeated at short intervals as he gleams 

 among the branches. There is in it a certain wild plaintiveness and naivete 

 extremely interesting. Since the streets of some of the American towns have 

 been planted with Lombardy poplars, the orioles are constant visitors, 

 chanting their native ' woodnotes wild,' amid the din of coaches, wheelbarrows, 

 and sometimes within a few yards of a bawling oysterwoman." 



A curious phenomenon is represented by Mr. Murray as taking place with 

 this poplar. Speaking of the raining tree in the Island of Hierro, which sup- 

 plies the inhabitants as well as inferior animals with water, he accounts for 

 this effect, by stating that a cloud of vapour from the sea is impelled towards 

 the tree ; and, being condensed by its foliage, the rain falls into a large tank, 

 from which it is measured out by individuals set apart for that purpose by the 

 authorities of the island. The same effect, Mr. Murray alleges, takes place 



with very tall trees of this species surrounded by fog in this country. " In 

 confirmation of a circumstance prima facie so incredible," he says, " I have 

 here to record a phenomenon, witnessed by myself, equally extraordinary. I 

 had frequently observed, in avenues of trees, that the entire ground engrossed 

 by their shady foliage was completely saturated with moisture ; and that during 

 the prevalence of a fog, when the ground beneath their pale was completely 

 parched, the wet which fell from their branches more resembled a gentle 

 shower than any thing else ; and in investigating the phenomenon, which I am 

 disposed to consider entirely electrical, I think the elm exhibits this feature 

 more remarkably than any other tree of the forest. I never, however, was 

 more astonished than I was in the month of September, 1828, on witnessing 

 a very striking example of this description. I had taken an early walk on the 

 road leading from Stafford to Lichfield ; a dense fog prevailed, but the road 



5 Q 3 



