ii.] OF THE ANCIENTS. 55 



Much need not be said of the Alder and the 

 Willow. 



The former, the Alnus glutinosa of L., the Alnus 

 of the Latins, and the KXrjOpos of the Greeks, is 

 noticed by Theophrastus and Pliny as a tree planted 

 on the borders of rivers. 



Of the latter, Pliny m mentions several varieties, 

 noticing their several uses for withies, wicker-work, 

 panniers, chairs, &c., as at present. Fee and 

 others have attempted to identify these with the 

 varieties of Willow now recognised by botanists. 

 The writers on agriculture, Cato, Columella, &c., 

 point out the importance of Willow plantations, 

 from the various uses to which the plant is applied. 



We next come to the Poplar, Populus of the 

 Latins, aiyeipos of the Greeks, of which the ancients 

 recognised only two, or at most three species. 



In Homer's Odyssey we read of aiyeipos n , the 

 motion of the leaves of which is compared to 

 the rapid twinkling of the fingers of the maids of 

 Alcinous when plying their shuttles, 



At 8' icrrovs v<p6a>cri Kal fjXaKara orp<^>a><7ti/ 

 "Hfj-fvai, old re <pvX\a fjLaKtdvrjs alydpoio' 



" Some ply the loom, their busy fingers move 

 Like poplar-leaves, when Zephyr fans the grove." 



To which he adds, 



Katpo(r6>i> &' odovemv a7roXet/3erai vypov eXaiov. 



" So close the work, that oil diffused in vain 

 Glides off innocuous, and without a stain," 



m Lib. xvi. c. 68. n Lib. vii. 106. 



