Chap. IV. 



A DOUBLE TREE. 



63 



children soon made me quite a favourite with their 

 parents, and in my walks in the country I was 

 invited into their houses, where I received much 

 kindness and hospitality. The poorest cottager 

 had always a cup of tea for me, which he insisted 

 on my sittting down and drinking before I left his 

 house. Before leaving this part of the province I 

 distributed a number of bottles^ each being about 

 half filled with the strong spirit of the country 

 (samshoo). These were given to those who pro- 

 mised to make collections for me during my ab- 

 sence ; they were told to throw the insects into the 

 spirit when caught, and let them remain until I 

 came to claim and pay for them. By this means I 

 was able to add many novelties to my collection 

 when I again visited Tse-kee in the autumn, to 

 form my other collections of plants and seeds. 



On one of my excursions amongst these hills 

 I met with a curiously-formed tree^ which at first 

 sight seemed to confirm the old Virgilian tale of 

 apples growing upon plane-trees. It was one of 

 those junipers (J, spliCBrica) which grow to a con- 

 siderable size in the north of China, and which the 

 Chinese are fond of planting round their graves. 

 But although a juniper at the top and bottom, an 

 evergreen tree with large glossy leaves {Photinia 

 serrulata) formed the centre. On reaching the 

 spot where it grew, the appearance presented was, 

 if possible, more curious and interesting. The 

 photinia came out from the trunk of the juniper 

 about 12 feet from the ground, and appeared as 



