258 



THE WILLOW. 



the young grubs are hatched, serves them both 

 for food and dwelling. While the trees are in 

 leaf, these galls are generally hidden from sight ; 

 but in winter they are often to be seen on the 

 extremities of the branches, each containing a 

 number of small white larvag. They are of the 

 same colour as the bark, and of a corky con- 

 sistence; but when once formed, they have no 

 vegetative power, the twigs which seemingly pass 

 through them being always withered and dead. 



Willows are common in the East, and are fre- 

 quently mentioned in the Bible, as in the pas- 

 sages already quoted ; in the Book of Job xl. 22^ 

 where Behemoth is said to be compassed about 

 with Willows of the brook. Ezekiel (xvii. 5) in 

 his figurative description of the last branch of the 

 house of Judah, says, that a great eagle cropped 

 oS the topmost twig of a Cedar-tree, and set it by 

 great waters as a Willow-tree. 



Rauwolf states, that near Halepo (Aleppo), 

 about the rivulets, there is a peculiar sort of Wil- 

 low-trees called Saf-caf, &c. ; these are not all alike 

 in bigness and height, and in their stems and twigs 

 they are not very unlike to Birch-trees (which are 

 long, thin, weak, and of a pale yellow colour) ; they 

 have soft ash-coloured leaves, or rather like unto 

 the leaves of the Poplar-tree, and on their twigs 

 here and there are shoots of a span long, like 

 unto those of the Cypriotish wild Fig-tree, which 

 put forth, in the spring, tender and woolly flowers 

 like unto the blossoms of the Poplar-tree, only 

 they are of a more drying quality, of a pale 

 colour, and a fragrant smell. The inhabitants 

 pull of these (because they bear no fruits) in great 

 quantities, and distil a very precious and sweet 



