Foreign Notices : — Spain. 365 



essential difference, however, consists in the acorns, which are edible, and 

 when in perfection are as good as, or superior to, a chestnut. To give this 

 sweetness they must be kept, as, at first, they have a considerable taste of the 

 tannin, like the other species, which disappears in a few days, and accounts 

 tor the scepticism of some writers, who assert that both sweet and bitter are 

 the produce of the same tree, and that their sweetness, is no character. These 

 are the edible acorns of the ancients, which they believed fattened the tunny 

 fish, on their passage from the ocean to the Mediterranean; a fable only 

 \ roving that they grew on the delicious shores and rocks of Andalusia, which, 

 unhappily, is no longer the case. Remains of them may, however, still be 

 traced in the west, and they produced the celebrated salted meats of Malaga, 

 and that vicinity. These are the bellotas, which Tei'esa, the wife of Sancho, 

 gathered herself in La Mancha, where they grow in the greatest perfection, 

 and sent to the duchess, wishing, instead of their being only the best of their 

 kind, they were the size of ostrich eggs. I have frequently seen them pro- 

 duced by individuals and offered to the company, as bonbons are in some 

 countries, with a sort of apology for their small intrinsic value, from their size, 

 and flavour. This species is beyond question very hardy, I believe even m.ore. 

 so than the /Hex of Italy. It ascends the sides of the Sierras, in the incle-, 

 ment region of the centre of Castile, and in Aragon is seen within the limits, 

 of the Pinus sylvestris and uncinata, as also in the cold and wintry valley of 

 Andorre. The widest forests of it are now in Estremadura, where the best 

 sausages and other salted meats are made from the vast herds of swine which, 

 are bred in them. This species [Q. gramuntia] ought to be denominated Qt 

 hispanica, instead of a weak and obscure name from a wood, which I have, 

 heard no longer exists, where the tree may possibly not have been a native, 

 although the climate and soil of Lower Languedoc very much resemble that q£ 

 the two regions of Spain to which this tree is confined. 



Q. Vlex. The genuine Quercus /Mex grows in the first, or humid, region, 

 and alone would serve to indicate the difference of climate of that part of the 

 peninsula. It may be seen in the neighbourhood of Bilboa, Santander, and 

 Asturias, where, no doubt, it was once much more abundant. The Quercus 

 hispanica [our gramuntia] is not found in that division, but appears the 

 instant you cross the boundaries assigned to it ; nor is the Q. /Mex found in 

 either of the other two. The habitats would indicate a dry climate as best 

 suited to this valuable species. 



" A beautiful species was observed by Gavanilles, in the eastern part of the 

 kingdom of Valencia, and named by him Q. valentina. A good plate is given 

 in the Icones Plantaruin, which is, unfortunately, the only tree he has figured. 

 He mentions its having the valuable property of ripening the acorns a month 

 sooner than the other species. They are however bitter, and fit only for 

 animals. This species is not- far spread. The district, it was observed, is in 

 the Tierra Cahente ;. but I saw the branches of it in a corral m La Mancha, 

 near Valdepenas, where it had been brought from the adjoining hills for fuel. 

 This is a much colder country, and quite within the middle region. I believe 

 it to be identical with the Quercus ^allota of the catalogues, which is stated to 

 be a native of Barbary, and has, no doubt, been named by some misapplication 

 of the Spanish term bellotas, which means acorns generally. These evergreen 

 oaks are termed, in the country, encinas, to distinguish them from the robles, 

 or deciduous oaks, and the cork trees, which have the specific name of 

 alcornoque. 



" This last species is spread through the Tierra Caliente in all its extent, 

 but is most abundant in Catalonia and Valencia, whence the principal exports 

 have been made. The forests of Lower Andalusia are proceeding rapidly to 

 extinction. A contract has lately been made for the extraction of a quantity 

 of the finest bark from the Sierra Morena, in the neighbourhood of Seville, 

 where it has hitherto been allowed to pass unnoticed. The money resulting 

 from this bargain I have understood v^as applied to building the new theatre 

 at Madrid: but, to show the manner in which business is conducted in these 



Vol. XII.— No. 7G. ee 



