144 



THE BEECH. 



But that this opinion is erroneous, will appear from the 

 following consideration. 



THE PURLEY BEECH! 



The Eoman poets make frequent mention of the tree 

 {Fagus) which Ca3sar declares to be not a native of Britain.^ 



1 The (pr)y6s (phegos) of Theophrastus does not appear to be the 

 same as the Fagus of the Romans, though both names have the 

 same etymology, from (pdyoi {phago), to eat. Our Beech is most 



