IL] OF THE ANCIENTS. 59 



We may therefore more readily believe the re- 

 port of Pliny, that the Oriental Plane came from 

 Asia, notwithstanding its wide distribution over 

 the southern parts of Europe. 



Pliny s notices the Birch under the name of Be- 

 tulla, corrupted by modern writers into Betula. He 

 considers it as a native of Gaul, probably because 

 it prefers cold and mountainous places, and was 

 therefore first noticed in the Alps, although common 

 in the Apennines. He describes it as remarkable 

 for its whiteness and slender shape, and as em- 

 ployed for making hoops and the ribs of panniers. 

 In Gaul they extracted from it a bitumen, as they 

 do at present in Russia, where the oil obtained is 

 used in preparing Russia leather. 



It was regarded with a feeling of dread, in con- 

 sequence of the fasces of the magistracy being com- 

 posed of it, "as now," says Evelyn, "are the gen- 

 tler rods of our tyrannical pedagogues for lighter 

 faults." What the corresponding word in Greece 

 may have been is somewhat doubtful, and for this 

 reason, that the tree is not indigenous there, and 

 therefore may not have been known to the writers 

 in that country. 



It probably, however, existed even then on the 

 mountains, as it now does in Turkey and Asia 

 Minor, from one of which localities came the fine 

 specimen of Betula alba, v. pontica, which may be 

 seen flourishing in our Botanic Garden. 



Lib. xvi. c. 30. 



