Localities.— In hedges; very rare. — Cheshire; In all the hedges about 
Minshull : I\Ir. Du Bois, in Ray’s Syn. — Devon ; In a hedge on the right-hand 
side of the Biddeford road, near the Marsh, about' six miles and a half from 
Barnstable: Polwhei.e. In an exposed hedge, parting a furze brake, at Lea- 
wood, the seat of C. P. Hamlyn, Ksq., in the parish of Bridstoiv ; the seeds 
may have been originally conveyed there by birds: FI. Devon. — Kent; In a 
wood upon Broadmead near the road to the Cherry Garden: Rev.G. E. Smith. 
— Surrey ; In its wild, thorny state, in a hedge near the top of Redstone Hill, 
left-hand of the Nutfield road, where I have observed it for many years: Mr. 
Luxfori), in Reiy. FI .— Sussex ; About Ashburnham, truly wild ; Rev. J. 
Davies. Hedges in two places at Ilenfield, and one in Hurstpier- point : N.B.G. 
Two or three trees, apparently wild, in Ore Lane, Hastings, on the right, just 
before coming to the descent near Dr. Kearon’s house ; woods at the Old Road, 
Hastings; hedges at the back of St. Leonard’s, between Catfield and Ninfield : 
Dr. W. A. Bromeield, in N. B. G. — Worcestersh. In a coppice bordering 
Deerhurst Lane, opposite the Lower Lodge, near Tewkesbury, a spot almost 
overgrown with underwood, the lane being merely a rough horse-track: Mr. 
E. Lees. 
Tree. — Flowers in May and June. 
A small or middle-sized branching tree. Branches spreading ; 
thorny in a wild state, covered with an ash-coloured bark. Leaves 
deciduous, alternate, spreading, on short petioles, oblong-spear- 
shaped, wavy, generally entire, single-ribbed, 4 or 5 inches long, 
mostly downy beneath; assuming a handsome stellate form of 
growth. Flowers (see fig. 2.) solitary, at the summit of each 
branch, on short downy peduncles (flower-stalks), large, with white, 
undulated petals , scentless. Calyx (see fig. 1, a.) with long, nar- 
row, downy, permanent segments (see fig. 3). Styles (see fig. 1, c.) 
5, club-shaped, encompassed at the base with an elevated ring 
arising from the floral receptacle. Fruit (fig. 3.) depressed, con- 
cave at the top, fleshy ; reddish-brown, somewhat hairy, contain- 
ing 5 gibbous, wrinkled, 1-celled stones, in each of which are 
2 seeds, but one is usually abortive ; pulp thick, mixed with callose 
granules (see fig. 4). 
This is a tree of very unequal, often humble and deformed, growth. It is a 
native of Europe and Siberia, in woods and among bushes, and in a wild state it is 
furnished with shining thorns, which disappear by culture. Several varieties are 
cultivated in gardens for the sake of the fruit, which, when firm and sound, is of a 
singularly austere disagreeable taste ; but having lain some time after being gathered, 
till it assumes a state of decay, and becomes soft, it aquires a flavour extremely 
agreeable to many, though to others altogether unpalatable. Medlars should be 
gathered towards the end of October, or the beginning of November, when some 
should be laid in moist bran, (in several layers,) to forward their decay ; others on 
straw in the fruitery ; those in the bran will begin to be ready for use in about a 
ortnight, and those laid on straw will come gradually forward in succession. — 
Encyclop. Brit. 
I have, some seasons, observed JEcidium laceratum (a parasitic fungus) to be 
very abundant on the leaves of the Medlar-tree in the vicinity of Oxford. 
The drawing for the accompanying plate was made from garden specimens, for 
which I am indebted to Mr. B. Robinson ; and Mr. Quartebman, Gardener, at the 
Radeliffe Observatory. The fruit of the wild variety is described as being small, 
dry, and worthless. 
