BOTANY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. 95 



exudes, upon making an incision, a great amount 

 of a cream-like, wholesome, and nutritious drink. 

 But I must leave this genus to mention the 

 Hopvine Humulus, and the Black Briony 

 Tamus, with long wreath-like branches, and 

 shining dark green leaves, and its red berries 

 hanging in festoons. The Aspen is well 

 known by the constant quivering of its leaves. 

 The Yew Tree, noted for its elasticity, and 

 hence, used for making bows : its juice is poison- 

 ous and in olden times the arrows were dipped 

 into it to render the wounds fatal, they might 

 inflict. The Bay Berry, or Sweet Gale My- 

 rica, whose elegant sprays deserve to find a 

 place in a lady's wreath, not only for its beauty, 

 but for the delightful fragrance it exhales from 

 its berries and leaves when rubbed between the 

 fingers. In some places the people make beds 

 of its twigs, and in others, scent their clothes 

 with its leaves ; the poet says : 



Gale from the bog shall waft Arabian balm. 



I will dismiss the class with the mention of the 

 Willow, Mistletoe, and Rafflesia. the last the 

 most extraordinary flower known. It was dis- 

 covered in the Island of Sumatra, by Dr. Arnold, 



