294 Keegan: Chemistry of Lakeland Shrubs and Bushes. 



the winter the starch disappears completely from the bark, but 

 not so from the wood ; the latter has no tannin, but has much 

 coniferin, and some terpene and free phloroglucin in certain 

 cells. The bark is rich in mucilag-e and encloses a phlobaphenic 

 tannin which precipitates gelatine, etc., and it is highly remark- 

 able, and in our clime almost unique, that its lowest anhydride 

 (identical with the soluble red pigment of certain flowers) is 

 found free in this part of the organism ; there is also a higher 

 phlobaphene, a bitter principle, but, strange to say, no resin. 

 The leaves are characterised by a lavish accumulation of white 

 crystalline wax, with very little fat (in summer) or carotin, 

 much sugar, not much mucilage or starch, but considerable 

 rutin, tannin, and quinovic acid, with some free phloroglucin 

 and phlobaphene. The berries are wonderfully familiar in sound 

 and otherwise to many non-botanists ; their official analysis is 

 somewhat as follows: — 29*4 per cent, water, 5 albumenoids, 

 29*65 sugar, 073 pectin, 15*83 cellulose, 0*64 wax, 9*6 resins, 

 0*37 juniperin, 1*73 (unripe) and 0*34 (ripe) volatile oil, which is 

 a mixture of hydrocarbons C 10 H 16 , 3 acids, and 2*33 ash. The 

 whole dried bush burned yields only 4 per cent, of ash, a fact 

 which goes far to explain why it is that 1 these barren rocks are 

 sprinkled o'er with fern and juniper.' 



Yew. Taxus baccata. The sombre, melancholy Yew, 

 whose ' protruded boughs darken the silver bosom of the 

 crag,' etc., grows with excessive slowness, yet is of a delicate 

 temperament, and decidedly shade-enduring. The bark never 

 encloses resin-reservoirs or canals, but in other respects is not 

 unlike that of other conifers. The highly compact and tenacious 

 wood is also devoid of resin-canals, and its moderate starch- 

 content does not completely disappear during the winter ; it 

 bears a little tannin in the heart, and a moderate amount of 

 coniferin throughout. The leaves are thoroughly plastered with 

 wax, and have some fat and moderate carotin, a phlobaphenic 

 tannin, some volatile oil and brown terpene, free phloroglucin, 

 and pectous and 'humus' matter; in August I found in the 

 dried leaves only 4*8 per cent, ash rich in potass, silica, and 

 manganese, and on 8th September an abundance of starch was 

 detected. Perhaps the most remarkable constituent of the 

 young shoots and leaves is an alkaloid called taxine which, 

 according to some observers, occurs chiefly or entirely in the 

 male plant, but at all events it is the older and deeper coloured 

 leaves that are said to be the more poisonous, e.g., to cattle ; it 

 is colourless, amorphous, nitrogenous, has a musty odour, and 



Naturalist 



