THE LABUENUM 19 



an escape from cultivation, nor has it done anything 

 to establish itself as in any degree naturalised. This 

 may be in part explained by the fact that, though 

 poisonous to cattle, its bark, and perhaps its seedlings, 

 are greedily eaten by hares and rabbits. 



It may safely be said, that the true etymology of 

 the name Laburnum is lost, for that suggested by 

 the late Dr. Prior seems far too fanciful. It is, he 

 suggested, " an adjective from the Latin labor, denot- 

 ing what belongs to the hour of labour, and which 

 may allude to its closing its leaflets together at night, 

 and expanding them by day.'^ But if the origin of its 

 classical name be obscure, the Laburnum has been 

 welcomed with many popular names both here and on 

 the Continent. The French name I'aubour is said to 

 be merely a corruption of Laburnum ; but the tree is 

 also known as arbois, which is .said to be arc-bois, 

 bow-wood, its wood having been used, owing to its 

 lasting strength and elasticity, for bows by the ancient 

 Gauls, and being still so employed around Macon. In 

 Scotland the blossom has gained for it the names of 

 " Pea-tree " and " He Broom," the latter meaning pro- 

 bably High Broom, as opposed to the common Broom 

 and the Low Broom, Genista tinctor'ia L. ; whilst some 

 likeness to a Willow has earned the names " Hoburn 

 Saugh '' here and " Weeping " or " Drooping Willow " 

 in Devon. A recognition of true affinity underlies the 

 Shropshire " French Broom " and " Seyny " (Senna) 

 tree, "French" standing for anything foreign, as it 

 does also in the Derbyshire " French Ash." It is, no 

 doubt, the smooth olive-green bark that has suggested 

 this last name, and the " Chaney (China) Ash " of 



