222 NATTJKAL HISTORY. 



cherry tree ; the leaves resemble those of the rose bay. 

 but are softer. The blossoms or flowers are much like 

 those of the narcissus ; are composed of thirty yellow 

 petals, twenty short stamens, and eight pistils. The 

 fruit is the well known anise.' 



THIRD FAMILY. MEXISPERMACE^E. The Common 

 Moonseed (Menispermum cocculus). Stem shrub-like, 

 climbing and fastening by tendrils ; branching out pro- 

 fusely ; leaves peltate, heart-shaped, emarginate, smooth, 

 dark green above, blue-green and downy below : length 

 from eight to twelve inches. The flowers hang in long 

 clusters like grapes, measuring from one to two feet in 

 length. The fruit is reddish-purple, with a soft, fleshy 

 envelope, and brown kidney-shaped seed. Found in the 

 Indian Archipelago, in the neighborhood of the sea- 

 coast. The species known as Cocculus Indicus, coming 

 to us in a dried state, has an oily and intensely bitter 

 kernel, which contains an acrid narcotic poison. These 

 kernels are used in India as bait for taking fish, but it is 

 a very improper method, as the eating of fish, thus 

 caught, has proved very injurious ; being productive of 

 stupor to the scaly tribe, they are more easily taken by 

 this bait than any other. Cocculus Indicus, it is said, is 

 used in England in the manufacture of porter. Some- 

 times called Fishing Berries. 



FOURTH FAMILY. BARBERIDACE^E. Common Bar- 

 berry or Sour Thorn (Berberis vulgaris) is a shrub 

 growing to a height of nine feet ; leaves ovate and ser- 

 rate ; calyx consists of six sepals ; flowers yellow, with 

 six petals ; grow in drooping racemes ;* the stamens, if 



* Raceme a mode of flowering by which the common peduncle 

 (foot-stalk or flower-stem) is elongated with the flowers on short, lat- 

 eral, simple pedicles. Tr. 



