THE YOUNG NATUKALIST. 



87 



crop. In our own land we cannot overlook the custom, now almost obsolete, 

 of divination by nuts, The genius of Burns has graphically pourtrayed the 

 procedure necessary to invoke the mystic spell, and his inimitable poems of 

 Hallowe'en will be admirably read after the simple practice has been for- 

 gotten : — 



" The auld guid wife's weel-hoordit nits 

 Are round and round divided, 

 And merry lads' and lasses' fates 



Are there that night decided ; 

 Some kindle coothie side by side 



And burn thigither trimly ; 

 Some start awa' wi' saucy pride 

 And jump out-oure the chimlie 

 Fu' high that night." 



The generic name of corylus is from the greek Jcorus a cap, an illusion to 

 the cap-like form of the involucre of the nuts. The specific name avettana, 

 is a territorial name for Abellina in Asia, supposed by some to be the valley 

 of Damascus, anciently celebrated for its supply of nuts. The common name 

 of hazel is the Anglo-Saxon " hcesl," and is the universal name in all the 

 Germanic languages for the hazel tree. According to some authorities it is 

 from " hces" a behest, or order, because a hazel stick was used to enforce 

 obedience amongst cattle and slaves, being used as the baton of the master 

 it became recognised as the symbol of authority. Another explanation is 

 that " hcesl" means a cap, and refers to the involucre of the fruit. The term 

 filbert as applied to one of the varieties of the hazel nuts is said to be a con- 

 traction of " full beard," from the large sheathing bract or leaf of the husk, 

 enveloping the fruit. The term <f catkin " as applied to the infloresence of 

 the hazel, willow, &c, refers to their less or more distant resemblance to a 

 cat's tail. In some localities the hazel catkins are called " lamb's tails " to 

 distinguish them from the willow, and both are indiscriminately gathered and 

 used as " palms." In Gaelic the hazel is called " calltuim" from "coill," 

 & wood or grove. New Year's time is called " coill," for then the hazel is in 

 bloom, and it was believed that the first night of the new year, when the 

 wind blew from the west, was the night of the foundation of the trees. 



Lizard with Two Tails, — A specimen of the common lizard (L. Vivipara) 

 was taken here in September last, which had two tails. About an inch and 

 a half from the tip of the normal tail, a second tail branches off. This second 

 tail is about an inch long and is perfectly developed. The specimen has 

 been preserved in spirits. — Geo. A. Harker, Liverpool. 



