16 



THE OAK. 



us^ says, What goodly trees were of old adored 

 and consecrated by the Druids, I leave to conjec- 

 ture from the stories of our ancient Britons, who, 

 had they left records of their prodigies in this 

 kind, would doubtless have furnished us with 

 examples as remarkable for the growth and 

 stature of trees as any which we have deduced 

 from the writers of foreign countries ; since the 

 remains of what are yet in being (notwithstanding 

 the havoc which has universally been made, and 

 the httle care to improve our woods), may stand 

 in fair competition mth any thing that antiquity 

 can produce." 



Tvvo species of Oak are indigenous to Britain, 

 and they have been named by Botanists Quercus 

 rohur, and Quercus sessilijlora. The name Quer- 

 cus is derived from the Celtic quer,'' beautiful, 

 and cuez, a tree. Rohur, according to some, is 

 derived from the Latin rohur, strength ; but we 

 may, with greater propriety, trace it to the Celtic 

 rove^ another name for the Oak, whence the 

 Latins obtained their name for the tree, and sub- 

 sequently adopted the same word to express the 

 abstract idea of strength,* The name Quercus 

 rohur^ therefore, rendered into English, means, 

 "the tree of beauty and strength." Quercus ses- 

 silijlora is distinguished from the first species by 

 having its fruit almost sessile, or sitting in groups 

 on the leafy twig, without the intervention of any 

 proper stalk ; whilst Quercus rohur, or Quercus 

 pedunculata, as it is sometimes called, bears its 

 fruit two or three together on a long peduncle, or 

 fruit-stalk. But as this distinction is a modern 

 one, and belongs rather to the naturalist than to 



In the north of Italy, the Oak is still called Rovore. 



