OAK TREE. 275 



insect found upon the cactus, or Indian fig, in the woods 

 of Mexico. 



This species is a native of the Levant, and of the 

 south of Europe, and was cultivated here in 1683, by 

 Mr. J. Sutherland. 



The Italian Oak, Quercus Esculus, is by some persons 

 supposed to be the Esculus of the Romans ; others sup- 

 pose the Esculus to have been a variety of our Common 

 Oak, called the Sessile-fruited. Authors are by no 

 means agreed upon this subject, which still remains a 

 question with those who are curious in these things. 



The Italian Oak has been named Esculus, from the 

 esculent quality of the acorns, which, in times of scarcity, 

 are frequently eaten by the poor in the south of France, 

 ground, and made into bread : some eat them fresh 

 like nuts ; they are sweet, and very different from our 

 English acorns. 



This Oak was cultivated by Mr. Miller in 1739. 



The Red Oak, Quercus rubra, is a North American, 

 and in its native land grows very large ; the leaves are 

 of a bright green, which they preserve until very late 

 in the autumn. This species was cultivated by Bishop 

 Compton in 1691- There are several varieties; the 

 Champion, the Scarlet, ana the Mountain Red Oak. 



The Common Oak, or as some call it, the English Oak, 

 Quercus Robur, is too well known to need description : of 

 this species there are usually enumerated three varieties *, 

 the Stalk-fruited, the Sessile-fruited, and the Dwarf: 

 but the most modern botanists consider them as separate 

 species, and name them Quercus pedunculata, Q. robur, 

 and Q. nana. 



* Italian, Ischia. 



