OF PLANTS. 199 



out from the trunk, sending down to the ground, at various 

 intervals, long straight roots, which quickly penetrate and 

 take firm hold, thus becoming props to the long branches. 

 These wonderful trees, each one resembling a small wood, 

 are dedicated to the god Fo, and the helpless, lazy Bonze 

 builds his hut, not unlike a bird-cage, in its branches, in 

 which he passes the day sometimes asleep, sometimes 

 dreaming in contemplative indolence in the pleasant cool 

 shade. These great Fig-trees (Ficus religiosa, indica, 

 benjaminea, L., elastica, Roxb.) have sweet fruits, and 

 their milk-sap contains the interesting Caoutchouc. Some 

 of these plants also yield a harmless juice. By far the 

 most remarkable in this respect, is the Palo de Vacca or 

 Arbol de Leche, the Cow-tree of South America (Galac- 

 todendron utile, Kunth), which was first made known to 

 us by A. von Humboldt. When a tolerably large incision 

 is made into the trunk of this tree, a white, oily, fragrant 

 and sweet fluid, very similar to animal milk, flows out in 

 sufficient quantity to refresh and satisfy the hunger of 

 several persons. 



A striking contrast to this is afforded by the properties 

 of other Nettle-plants. One is tempted to call them the 

 serpents of the vegetable kingdom ; and the parallel is not 

 difficult to carry out. The similarity between the instru- 

 ments with which both produce and poison their wounds 

 is very remarkable. The snakes have in the front of the 

 upper jaw two long, thin, somewhat curved teeth, which 

 are perforated lengthways by a minute canal, which opens 

 in front at the sharp point. These teeth are not fixed 

 firmly in the jaw like the others, but moveable, like, but 

 in a less degree, the claws of a cat. Beneath each tooth, 

 in a cavity in the jaw, lies a little gland, in which the 



