THE YOUNG NATUEALIST. 



167 



border round the hind margin of all the wings, 

 a suffused Glahraria, a pink Aversata, a red 

 Repandata, and several others. These 

 varieties were most obligingly lent for 

 figuring in " Illustrations of varieties." 



Those present were so intent upon collect- 

 ing, or so charmed with the beautiful weather 

 and scenery, that four o'clock found them 

 all dispersed in various directions, and only 

 a few who were well acquainted with the 

 ground and its productions mustered 

 courage to give up the chase and assemble 

 on one of the numerous hills. These, 

 chiefly coleopterists, compared specimens 

 and notes, but being principally local 

 persons it was not thought desirable to do 

 any business in the way of fixing another 

 gathering. 



Altogether the gathering was a success, 

 and all thoroughly enjoyed themselves. In 

 the evening several made inquiries whether 

 a place had been agreed upon for next year's 

 gathering, but this has been left open, and 

 we shall be glad to hear from any of those 

 who were at Wallasey, and shall be glad of 

 any suggestions for another gathering next 

 Whit Monday, if one is to be held, and we 

 hope it will. 



Most of the insects mentioned by Dr. 

 Ellis in last month's Y.N. were found, and 

 one beetle [Aphodus subterraneun) was 

 taken freely for the first time in the district. 



THE DERIVATION OF 

 SALIX. 



To the Editor of the ''Young Naturalist.'' 

 Sir, 



Criticism of an article is generally an 

 indication that it has been read, and that it 

 has excited a certain degree of interest ; 

 hence I welcome the remarks on " Willows," 

 in a late number of the Young Naturalist. 

 It is well known that there is no field of 

 research in which speculative opinions run 

 riot more widely than in philology, and 



botanical nomenclature is no exception. In 

 my contributions it has been my aim and 

 study to interest and instruct, without prov- 

 ing tedious, hence authorities are omitted, 

 and statements condensed and " boiled 

 down." As the first derivation is hardly in 

 dispute, it may be passed by with the remark 

 that it is to be found in Hooker and Arnott's 

 Flora. For the second, to a scholar it is 

 very evident that salis was a misprint for 

 salio — to leap, and whether that refers to 

 the elasticity of the wood, or to the rapidity 

 of its growth — increasing, like our national 

 revenue and expenditure, by " leaps and 

 bounds " — readers may now choose for 

 themselves. Be that as it may another 

 rendering, not quite so savoury, has been 

 assigned the Sallow, from the same root we 

 have salacious ; lecherous. One of the 

 seven hills of Rome (Viminalis Collis), 

 took its name from the abundance of a 

 species of willow [Salix viminalis), which 

 grew on it. Formerly Jupiter was worshiped 

 in these groves, and his priests as well as 

 those of Mars were called Salii for this 

 reason. Frequently their worship degen- 

 erated into debauchery and sensuality — 

 hence the willow became associated with 

 filthiness and lust. Prapus was sarcasti- 

 cally called " Salacissimus Jupiter," and so 

 we h2,ve" Salix lustful; Gaelic "Salach": 

 German "Sal" polluted, defiled. I hesitate 

 to multiply derivations, but Pictet traces 

 the willow to the Sanskrit " Sala,'' a tree. 

 But according to my critic my most serious 

 mistake was in deriving " sallow " from the 

 Anglo-Saxon " Sealh," " Salig," which is 

 synonymous with the Latin " Salix," a word 

 which implies a shrub fit for making withes, 

 being the Anglo-saxon "Sal" or "Seel," a 

 strap or tie with a terminating adjectival 

 ig or h, corresponding to the ix or ex, or ica, 

 in the Latin names of shrubs. The Anglo- 

 Saxon " Sal," German " Saal," also meant a 

 hall, a house, and a stall or sheep-fold. My 

 critic admits the correctness of the name, 



