BITTERSWEET 
215 
Sometimes a vine will clasp a young tree and 
vigorously strangle it to death, reaching out and up 
into the tops that rise indifferently above its victim. 
Elated by its success, it will grow larger than the 
dead trunk around which it twines in a rapid spiral* 
Often it takes but an indolent hold of a sturdy tree, 
as if reluctant to admit its dependence* Occasionally 
it swings clear of the sustaining trunk, holding only 
by the branches as much as twenty feet from the 
ground, and leaving the mystery of its wonderful 
climbing feat unsolved* A few curves in the pendent 
vine suggest a victim which has served its purpose and 
passed away, for a trunk so soft and pliable might 
loose the coils with which it strangled a supporting 
tree* Hanging unsupported, it is as light and flexible 
as a rope, and, when two or three inches in diameter, 
an irresistible temptation to climb* 
The berries have the reputation of being poisonous, 
and a similar evil fame attaches to the wood, bark, 
and roots* A European namesake deserves this bad 
reputation, and our own artistic vine is not free from 
the taint of suspicion* The inquisitive find the berries 
mildly sweet and liquid, not at all disagreeable ; but 
a taste is sufficient to satisfy curiosity* In spite of 
their tempting and conspicuous colours, they are left 
severely alone by the birds in fall and winter* The 
inquisitive Grosbeaks often fly leisurely to a tree 
where the bright tints are attractively displayed, but, 
