PART III. ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. 2,593 



elevation of from 4000 ft. to near the regions of perpetual snow. The 

 trees are all evergreen in their native country. They have entire leaves 

 in the manner of Q. Phellos ; but, as the leaves of this species, as we 

 have seen in p. 1895., vary much as the plants grow up, their ultimate 

 forms maybe lobate like those of Q. virens (see p. 1919.), which, as 

 there shown, are also entire when young. If the reader will look over 

 the figures of Mexican oaks, given between p. 194-1. and p. 1949., he will 

 find some species resembling Q. Phellos, and some resembling Q. virens. 

 l?dgus. Page 1949., after last line, insert : 



" Professor Mirbel, in the Memoires du Musee, makes the following obser- 

 vations on this genus : * The introduction into the genus .Fagus of three or 

 four species which had not been described modifies the generic character, and 

 authorises the division of the group into two distinct sections, as follows : 

 " ' Gen. Char. Flowers monoecious. Male, solitary or in aggregate heads. 

 Perianth simple, membranaceous, 1-leaved; stamens 8 40. Female, twin 

 or ternal, in a 4-partite cupule. Perianth simple, adherent, 6-toothed. 

 Ovary 3-celled, each cell containing 2 ovules. Style 1, short. Stigmas 3, 

 awl-shaped. Fruit 3-angled, 1-celled, 1 -seeded. Seed pendulous. Radicle 

 turned to one side, short. Cotyledons thick, fleshy. Perisperm none. 

 " ' Sect. I. Cupule muricate, capsuliform. Ovaries included. Young 

 leaves plicate. 



" ' Fagus sylvatica. 

 ferruginea. 

 obliqua. 



" * Sect. II. Cupule involucriform ; segments narrow, laciniate. Ovaries 

 laterally exserted. Young leaves not plicate. 

 " Fagus Dombeyi. 

 5etuloides. 

 dubia.' 



" Mirbel adds that he cites * neither antarctica Forster, nor F. cochinchi- 

 nensis Lour., nor the Fagus which, according to Cunningham (King's Survey 

 of the Coasts of Australia, i. p. 158.), grows in Van Diemen's Land. The 

 description of the first is nothing, because the female flower is not yet known. 

 The description of the second is so far from giving an accurate idea of the 

 tree seen by Loureiro, that we may doubt whether or not it is a Fagus ; and 

 the species of Van Diemen's Land, mentioned by Cunningham, has neither 

 been described nor named.' (Mirb. in Mem. Mus., xiv. p. 472.) The .Fagus 

 mentioned by Cunningham is probably the F. 6etuloides, as that is stated 

 by Backhouse (Gard. Mag., vol. xi. p. 40.; and Comp. to Sot. Mag., vol. ii. 

 p. 40.) to be found wild in Van Diemen's Land." 



F. sylvatica. 1970. 1. 16. from the bottom, insert : "The marriage beech at 

 Inverary, of which we have been favoured with a drawing by our friend 

 W. A. Nesfield, Esq., from which^g. 2536. is engraved, is another ex- 

 ample of inosculation ; the arm which unites the two trees being about 

 20 ft. from the ground. 



" The beech tree is a non-conductor of lightning ; and so notorious 

 is the fact in America, that the Indians, whenever the sky wears the ap- 

 pearance of a thunder-storm, leave their pursuits, and take refuge under 

 the nearest beech tree. In Tennessee, the people consider it a com- 

 plete protection. Dr. Becton, in a letter to Dr. Mitchell, states that 

 the beech tree is never known to be struck by atmospheric electricity, 

 while other trees are often shivered into splinters. (American Paper, 

 as quoted in Morn. Chron., October 21. 1837.) " 

 1976., insert, after the paragraph headed " Lichens: " 



" The following list of additional fungi, found on the beech, has been 

 sent to us by the Rev. M. J. Berkeley : -4garicus supinus Fr. ; A. 

 corticalis Fr., also on hazel; A. spodoleucus Fr., A. ursinus Fr., A. 

 fluxilis .Fr. ; A. nidulans Pers., also on birch ; A. atrocaeruleus Fr., 

 A. planus Fr., A. nanus Pers., A. hispidulus Fr., A. placidus Fr., A. L'mkii 

 Fr., A. reticulatus Pers,, A. aleuriatus Fr., A. ephebius Fr., A. Vahlw 



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