THE YOUNG NATURALIST 



3 



holly were also anciently used for 

 divination, and with certain mysterious 

 rites by love-lorn damsels to ensure 

 true and fortunate dreams. The bark 

 of the young twigs when bruised 

 emits a strong and peculiar odour. 

 They also furnish an adhesive 

 substance which is in much request 

 for making bird lime, which is obtain- 

 ed by maceration and repeated washings 

 with water. The leaves contain an 

 active principle called ilicine, which 

 rivals peruvian bark for its tonic 

 qualities, and as a febrifuge ; possibly 

 it is this principle winch secures for 

 the holly its comparative immunity 

 from the ravages of insects. The 

 berries are purgative and emetic in 

 doses of six to eight, but they are 

 highly deleterious in large quantities. 



Mate or Paraguayan tea is made of 

 the leaves of a species of holly [Ilex 

 Paraguayense), its properties closely 

 resembles those of Chinese tea, but its 

 virtues as a stimulant, a conserver of 

 vital energy, and a restorative after 

 severe physical exertion have been 

 highly belauded. The leaves are 

 generally either dried or roasted, a 

 handful is put into a vessel furnished 

 with a cover and a drinking tube, 

 boiling water is poured over the leaves, 

 and when sufficiently cool each member 

 of the party takes a draught. Although 

 mate is non-intoxicating, persistence 

 in its use is said to be as insiduous as 

 alcoholic dram drinking, and a taste 



for it once acquired can scarcely be 

 eradicated. The leaves of another 

 species (7. vomitoria) are strongly 

 emetic, and the natives of South 

 America congregate at certain seasons 

 at'the places where it abounds to drink 

 infusions of the fresh leaves. This 

 they continue for several days, the 

 inevitable vomiting being looked upon 

 as a sort of sacrifical purification prior 

 to engaging in certain rites of religious 

 worship. 



The wood of holly is hard and 

 beautifully white, it is therefore much 

 used by turners and cabinet makers 

 for inlaying, it is susceptible of being 

 dyed a rich black, when it is often 

 passed off as ebony. The young shoots 

 are always in much request for making 

 whip shafts and walking sticks. As 

 an ornamental hedgerow plant the 

 holly stands supreme. Two hundred 

 years ago Evelyn in his diary happily 

 hit off its characteristics — "Is there 

 under heaven a more glorious and 

 refreshing sight of the kind than such 

 an impregnable hedge, glittering with 

 its armed and varnished leaves, the 

 taller standards at orderly distances 

 blushing with their natural coral." 

 It bears clipping and pruning well, 

 and in the last century style of garden- 

 ing it was made to assume the most 

 fantastic shapes. Its perrennial ver- 

 dure and innumerable spines makes it 

 the beau ideal of a fence impenetrable 

 alike to man and beast. 



