of the Wear, near Durham Abbey: Mr. Winch. — Essex; About Woodford : 
Mr. It. Warner. — Gloucestersh. Yard of l.antony Abbey, near Gloucester: 
Air. Baixard. — Hampsh. Netley Abbey: Mr. W. Christy. — Herts; be- 
tween Temsford-milis and Welwyn: Dr. Mahtyn. Near Tring : Mr. VV. 
Pamplin, jun. — Kent; About Rochester, and between that and Maidstone: 
Dr. Mahtyn. Near Faversham : Mr. E. Jacob. — In Pedlinge Wood: Air. G. 
Qi'i-Hampton, in Uev. G K. Sm. PI. of S. Kent. — Lancash. Very luxuriant 
among the ruins of Furness Abbey, whence the valley is called the Vale of 
Nightshade: Mr. Atkinson. — Leicestersh. Near the ruins of Gracedieu Nun- 
nery, at the northern extremity of Charnwood Forest; soil carboniferous lime- 
stone: Rev. A. Br.oxAM *, in Loud. Mag. Nat. Hist. v. iii. p. Iti7. — Lincolnsh. 
About Holland: I)r. AIartyn. — Norfolk; In St. Faith’s Newton, near Nor- 
wich : Air. Woodward. — Northamptonsh. Road-sides near Peterborough; 
also in Blatherwicke Park, at Kingseliffe: Kev. S. Palmer, in Loud. Mag. of 
Nat. Hist. v. ii. p. 387. — Notts; ( 1 lit ton- hill, and Mansfield: Dr. Martyn. — 
Rutlandsh. Near Luffenham: Dr. Martyn. — Shropsh. Lillieshall Abbey. 
I H3"2 : Dr. Li.ovn. — Surrey; At Dorking. — Waruicksh. Sutton Coldfield: 
Ray. — Wilts ; Near Great iiedwyn, 1833: \V Barti.ftt, Fsq. — JPorccf- 
tersh. About the ruins of Dudley Castle : 1815, Rev. \V. S. Rut ford ; and Rev. 
W. S. Brickni.lt., 1828. Bell’s Mill, near Stourbridge : Scott. — Yorkshire ; 
Kirby Fleetham, near Richmond: L. E. (). in Loud. Mag. Nat. Hist. v. iii. p. 
168. Near the river Don. in the vicinity of Doncaster: Mr. S. Art’! .my, in 
Loud. Mag. Nat. Hist, vol.v. p.557. — Berivicksh. On the hanks of W other 
Water, near Wooler: Mr. Winch.— SCOTLAN D. Angusshire ; In the Den 
of Bonnetown, near Montrose: Mr. Don, in Agricul. Report of Angus. — 
King's Park at Stirling, and at I-Coltnkill : Lie in foot. — Ranks of the Cart, 
Gathcart Mill : Dr. Brown. — Ruins of Borthwick Castle : Air. P. Nru.i., and 
Air. Mauchan. — Sea-side immediately west of the waggon-road fiom Lime- 
kilns: Dr. Grkvii.lf., in FI. Edin —WALES. Denbighsh The Fron. near 
Chirk: Mr. II. Barrett. — IRELAND. At Straubally, by the brook, near the 
old Monastery : Dr. Wade. 
Perennial. — Flowers in June, July, and August. 
Root thick and fleshy. Stems herbaceous, from 2, to 4 or 5 feet 
high, round, branched in a forked manner, leafy, and somewhat 
downy. Leaves on footstalks egg-shaped, pointed, entire, nearly 
smooth on the upper surface, a little downy on the under, growing 
in pairs, one of which is smaller than the other, of a dull dark 
green. Peduncles f flower-stalks J solitary, imperfectly axillary, 1- 
flowered, gradually thickening upwards. Flowers of a lurid purple 
colour, nearly an inch long, hell-shaped, drooping. Calyx (fig. 2.) 
viscous. Berry (fig. 3.), when ripe, of a shining violet black, the 
size of a small cherry, 2-celled. 
The whole plant is of a dark and lurid aspect, and is one of the most active 
and deleterious vegetable poisons we have among all our indigenous plants : the 
berries are most poisonous, and have furnished many instances ol their fatal 
effects, particularly upon childten, who, allured by their beautiful appearance 
and sweet taste, have been tempted to eat them. Even half a berry has been 
known to have proved fatal. A draught of vinegar, and keeping the patient 
walking to prevent sleep, are said to he the surest means of cure. 
The leaves were first employed in medicine, under the form of fomentation, in 
cases of cancer, and they have been given internally in infusion ; hut the suffer- 
ings of the patient, under ever so small a dose, are said to bedreadiul. An ex- 
tract of the plant has been found useful to the Oculist, by its having the peculiar 
property (on applying it externally) of dilating the pupil; but it ought, in all 
cases, to be usrd with extreme caution, as instances aie recorded of its causing 
permanent blindness. The juice of the ripe berries is said to stain paper of a 
beautiful and durable purple. Mr. \V. Curtis says, that a goat ate the leaves 
and stems of this plant without injury; and that the caterpillais of Phalcena 
Antigua and Phalcena Brassiere feed upon the foliage. — According to Bu- 
chanan, the Scots mixed a quantity of the juice of the Belladonna with the 
bread and d i ink which uy their truce they were to supply the Danes with, which 
so intoxicated them i fiat the Scots killed a great part of Sw end’s army while asleep. 
* See alsoan interesting little book, written by the Rev. A. Bloxam, infilled 
“ A Description of Bradgate Park, and the adjacent country ; with Remarks on 
the Natural History of Charnwood Forest, and a Memoir ol Lady Jane Grey.” 
No date, but probably published about 1828. 
