ii.] OF THE ANCIENTS. 43 



Arrows, he says, were dipped in the juice of this 

 tree to render them more deadly, and poisons were 

 called toxica, formerly taxica, from the name by 

 which this tree was known. 



Virgil alludes to it as communicating poisonous 

 properties to the Corsican Honey j , and Lucretius 

 even represents it as destroying life by the odour of 

 its flower, if this be indeed the tree intended : 



" Est etiain magnis Helicouis montibus arbor, 

 Floris odore horainem tetro consueta necare." 



The tree is still rare in Greece, although it is 

 mentioned in the Flora Grceca, on the authority 

 of Sibthorp's fellow traveller, Mr. Hawkins, as oc- 

 curring on the rocks of Mount Cyllene, in Laconia. 



It is, however, noticed under the name of MtAo? 

 in Theophrastus k , who describes its principal pro- 

 perties with tolerable accuracy. 



In Italy it seems to be more common, and ac- 

 cording to Virgil 1 , bows were made of it, as at 

 present 



" Iturseos taxi torquentur in arcus." 



It thrives best, however, in colder climates, as 



the ancients were aware 



" Apertos 

 Bacchus amat colles, aquilonem et frigora taxi m ." 



I now proceed to certain trees recognised by 

 ancient writers, which do not belong either to 

 Pliny's class of Frugiferce, or to those compre- 



> EC. ix. 30. k H. PI. iii. 9. 



1 Georg. ii. 448. m Ibid., 113. 



