THE MALE ATTCUBA. 
Chap. III. 
This is a charming shrub, and if it proves hardy 
in our climate will he a great favourite. A new 
species of Aucuba , not variegated like the one in 
English gardens, but having leaves of the deepest 
and most glossy green, was found common in the 
shady parts of the woods and hedges, and has now 
been introduced into England. As a fine evergreen 
bush it will be greatly prized ; and, in addition to 
this, it produces a profusion of crimson berries 
nearly as large as olives, which hang on all the 
winter and spring, like the holly-berries of our 
own country. 
One of my objects in visiting Japan was to 
procure the male variety of the common Aucuba 
japonica of our gardens. This is perhaps the most 
hardy and useful exotic evergreen shrub we pos- 
sess. It lives uninjured through our coldest win- 
ters, and thrives better than anything else in the 
smote of our large towns. Hence it is met with 
everywhere, and is one of the most common plants 
in the parks, squares, and houses of London ; but 
no one in this country has ever seen it covered 
With a profusion of crimson berries, as it is met 
With in Japan. It belongs to a class of plants 
which have the male and female flowers produced 
on different individuals. Curiously enough, all the 
plants in Europe were females, and hence the ab- 
sence of fruiting specimens. On my arrival in 
Japan I lost no time in looking out for the male of 
this interesting species. I found it at last in the 
garden of Dr. Hall at Yokuhama, who has also a 
