By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 



255 



to be chiefly propagated by birds of the Thrush family, especially 

 the Fieldfares, and Redwings, who are tempted to feed on its white- 

 berries when other supplies fail, and in cleansing their bills upon 

 the rind of various trees frequented by them, leave behind a few 

 of the clammy seeds, to perpetuate the continuance of the parasite. 

 It is not improbable also that the seeds pass through the bodies of 

 birds, uninjured as stated by old writers, and even benefited by the 

 forward tendency thus given them to earlier germination, 



ORDER. CAPRIFOLIACE^L (JUSS.) 

 Sambucus, (Linn.) Elder. 

 Linn. CI. v. Ord. iii. 

 Name. An old word used by Pliny and others to signify the 

 elder-tree, derived from sambuca, a musical instrument, usually 

 made of this tree. 



1. S. Ebulus (Linn.) dwarf Elder, or Dane-wort Ebulus, a word 

 used by Pliny to denote some plant with red berries. Our ances- 

 tors evinced a hatred of their enemies, the Danes, in supposing this 

 nauseous, foetid, and noxious plant to have sprung from their blood ; 

 hence it was formerly called Dane-wort. 1 Engl. Bot. t. 475. 



Locality. In waste ground, way-sides, and about hedges, not 

 common. P. Fl. August. Area, 1. * 3. 4. 5. 



South Division. 



1. South-east District, "Near Redlynch," Dr. Maton. " Nat. 

 Hist. Wilts: 1 " Pewsey," Rev. T. F. Ravenshaw. 



3. South-west District, " Bishopstone," Mr. James Hussey. 



North Division. 



4. North-west District, In hedges between Slaughterford and 

 Ford. 2 



5. North-east District, Near the large Pond by Mr. Bathe's farm- 

 yard Purton. " Under Roundway Down," Rev. John Offer. 

 " Occasionally a troublesome weed in gardens at Marlborough." 



1 " Danes-blood [ebulus) about Slaughtonford is plenty. There was heretofore 

 a great fight with the Danes, which made the inhabitants give it that name." 

 " Aubrey's Nat. JSist. Wilts;' p. 50. 



2 " Dwarfe-elder (ebulus) at Box, &c, common enough, at Falston and Stoke 

 Verdon, in the high waics." " Aubrey's Nat. Hist. Wilts," p. 52. 



