334 REVIEW—BRITISH YEW-TREES. 
about Brimham, near Dacre Banks, or the limestone of the Lake 
District, besides Borrowdale, etc. ? It is mentioned that sometimes 
seeds are sown in the excreta of birds. In ‘Science Gossip,’ 1883, 
p. 238, it is stated that on the tower of Culmstack Church, Devon- 
shire, 100 feet from the ground, a seedling Yew was growing well, 
12 or 13 inches in diameter, but suffering from the ill-treatment of 
climbing tourists. In regard to planting Yews in churchyards, our 
author does not seem to have noticed that they are generally on 
the south side of the church (‘Science Gossip,’ 1879, p. 18). So far 
as one person’s memory goes, it is the same in the north of England. 
In ‘Notes and Queries,’ Dec. 13th, 1879, a correspondent writes of 
a circle of Yew trees at Llanelly Church, near Abergavenny, which 
enclosed the building. It was not quite perfect, but was supposed 
to be the best example remaining. Although perhaps the present 
writer is doing what has just been condemned—a jumbling up of 
references—it might be quite worth the author’s while to read the 
notes on archery in Mr. H. H. S. Croft’s edition (1883) of Sir Thos. 
Elyot’s ‘The Boke named the Governour, 1531, vol. i, pp. 297 
et seq. The medical side of the Yew is very well done. Surely no 
industrious compiler will now dare to say, as has so often happened, 
that the species is not poisonous. But medical men are usually in 
arms at the slightest hint of botanical physic. The ‘Brit. 
Pharmacopeia’ now contains more plant preparations than ever it 
did. So good a man as Sir J. E. Smith, M.D., in his ‘ Eng. Flora,’ 
ed. 2, declares ‘the berries are not poisonous,’ as though he were 
speaking of stone fruit. ‘This chapter ought to be carefully read, 
and Dr. Lowe’s experiments on himself with Zaxus and_ his 
conclusions. 
Virgil's story that the Corsican honey was spoilt by the bees 
visiting Yew flowers is at last settled by a visit paid to Corsica by 
r, Lowe. Vow the honey cannot be dangerous from the same 
cause, as no Yews remain in the island. [‘ Classic’ editors, please 
note. | 
On the subject of cattle poisoning, there is a theory that if no 
water is given to them for some time after they will recover ; this was 
known to me, but confirmation was required. In ‘Science Gossip,’ 
1879, p. 238, col. 2, it is given as the experience of an old farmer 
that ‘drinking does the mischief.’ 
Why are not the north country trees treated with the same care 
as in the south in this book? Not having measurements at hand nO 
additions (with the exception below) can be made now. The few 
famous trees we hear of again and again, but there must be many 
- more. Mr. W. Hodgson, A.1.S., of Workington, kindly sent me 
+ 
