16 



SYLVAX SKETCHES. 



article of food. Viroil recommends the vomiff twio-s as a 

 food for goats, and celebrates their use m basket-work. 



The Laurel-leaved Arbutus, Arbutus laurifoUa, is a 

 native of North America : it is verv Kke the Common 

 Arbutus : one of the chief distinctions is in the flowers 

 of this turning all the same wav. 



The Oriental Arbutus, Arbutus Andracline^ some- 

 times called simply the Andi'achne, is also veiy similar 

 to the conmion species : the bark is smoother, and the 

 leaves are larger. It grows naturally in the East, parti- 

 cularly about Magnesia, where it is so plentiful as to be 

 the principal fuel of the inliabitants : it grows to a middle 

 size, -with irregular branches ; the blossoms are like those 

 of the Common Arbutus, only not so numerous ; the 

 fruit, also, is of the same colour and consistence. 



Wheeler observed this tree neai' Athens, and saw the 

 fruit sold at the market in Smyrna. 



Evehm complains of the neglect shown to the Arbutus 

 in his time: — to the Arbutus, which gi'ows such a 

 goodly tree, patient of our chme. unless the weather be 

 verv severe : it may be contrived into beautiful pahsades, 

 and is ever verdant. I am told this tree gi'ows to a lai'ge 

 size on Mount Atlas, and other countries." 



Sibthorpe, travelling in the Isle of Athos, says, in his 

 way to the monastery of St. Paul, he passed " tlu'ough 

 a beautiful shrubben^ of Kermes oaks, mixed with Ar- 

 butus and Anch'achne : those trees, now laden ^vith ripe 

 fruit, made a beautiful appearance, and. ^-ixh the smooth 

 pohshed bark and sliining laurel leaves of the Andi'achne. 

 were highly ornamental*." 



* See Travels in the East^ edited by R. "Walpole^, M. A.^ being a 

 continuation of Memoirs relating to European and Asiatic Turkey ; 

 Sibthorpe's Journal, page 64-. 



