THE WILLOW. 



101 



CHAPTER VIII 



THE WILLOW NUMBER OF VARIETIES NAPOLEON'S WILLOW 



CURLED WILLOW ELM BIRCH POPLAR ASPEN 



LOMBARDY POPLAR TULIP TREE THE YEW FLOWER- 

 ING TREES THE MAGNOLIA. 



Y the rivers of Babylon there 

 we sat down; yea, we wept 

 when we remembered Zion. 

 We hanged our harps upon 

 the willows in the midst there- 

 of." Ps. cxxxvii. 1, 2. 

 This beautiful and poetic allusion, 

 undoubtedly refers to the Weeping 

 Willow, which was formerly very abun- 

 dant in the environs of Babylon, whence 

 arises its botanical name, Salix Babylonica. The 

 word Salix is derived from the Celtic, and means 

 near water, referring to the general habit of all the 

 willows of frequenting watery places. They often 

 give a very picturesque appearance to the landscape, 

 as they spread their branches, covered with the most 

 beautiful foliage, over the smooth surface of the 

 water, or gracefully dip their long slender boughs 

 into the stream. 



But we may imagine that, however beautiful was 

 the effect thus produced, it must have possessed but 

 9* 



