66 



THE HOLLY. 



then enlarges and becomes white, with a tint of 

 vermilion. But woe to the incautious botanist 

 who attempts to pluck them. The trunk and 

 branches are hollow, with openings at intervals, 

 and are inhabited by numerous light brownish ants, 

 about a third of an inch in length, which inflict 

 the most painful bites. They fall on their prey 

 with the greatest virulence, burying their sharp 

 mandibles in any soft substance which presents 

 itself, and emitting a whitish fluid : their bite 

 causes swelling and itching for several days. If 

 placed in confinement, they attack and kill one 

 another. 



The w^ood of the Holly is hard, compact, and 

 of a remarkably even substance throughout. Ex- 

 cept towards the centre of very old trees, it is 

 beautifully white, and being susceptible of a very 

 high polish, is much prized for ornamental ware. 

 It is often stained blue, green, red, or black ; when 

 of the latter colour, its principal use is as a sub- 

 stitute for ebony, in the handles of metal tea-pots. 

 Mathematical instruments are also made of it, and 

 it has even been employed in wood-engraving in- 

 stead of box. The wood of the silver-striped variety 

 is said to be whiter than that of the common kind. 

 Of the bark, stripped from the young shoots, 

 boiled and suff'ered to ferment, birdlime is made ; 

 but the greater quantity of this substance used in 

 England is imported from Turkey. 



In the north of England it was formerly so 

 abundant about the lakes, that birdlime was made 

 from it in large quantities, and shipped to the 

 East Indies for destroying insects. It is raised 

 from seeds, which do not germinate until the 

 second year ; hence the berries are generally buried 



