276 
PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES, 
bewildered traveller felt on encountering them in his twilight journey, and served 
to confirm in his mind those early impressions which had associated superstitions 
the most awful with the giant Oak or the mysterious Yew : traces of such •were 
yet to be found in many parts of our own island, where the lingering of Druidic 
lore was still to be detected in the tales and legends of the mountain and the 
stream, the sacred Mistletoe, and the bright green Holly. From the consideration 
of these topics the lecturer proceeded to describe the picturesque effect of trees in 
landscape scenery, the peculiar character of the vegetation of different countries 
as influencing and determining these effects, and the fashions of various ages in 
respect of gardening and planting; all of which were successively treated in 
animated and vivid language. The pictorial and poetical associations formed in 
the mind in reference to trees in general, and to some peculiar kinds in particular? 
were dwelt upon, and many of those childhood incidents, which hallow the 
recollections of former years, were all feelingly depicted. The incidents which 
serve to awaken such early impressions were referred to, and exemplified by 
several well-authenticated and highly-interesting anecdotes, showing the existence 
of the feeling universally. The Indian and the Laplander, the Chinese, the 
Mexican, and the Australian, all owned alike the potency of that spell which the 
sight of the trees of their native land was capable of exciting in their minds. 
From these various considerations of the interest and importance which attach 
to trees as the fair garniture and glory of a country, Mr. Lees passed on to 
describe the peculiarities of their external appearance and botanical characteristics, 
their internal structure, process of growth, and the longevity to which the prin¬ 
cipal trees of Britain attain; enumerating many instances of Yews, Oaks, &c., 
which had arrived at ages varying from one to Jive thousand years. This part of 
the lecture, which was peculiarly instructive, we regret we are unable to report 
so fully as we could desire; the great variety of pleasing and remarkable facts 
collected in illustration of the subject being all of the most interesting description. 
The lecture was listened to with the utmost attention, and frequently inter¬ 
rupted by the applause of a delighted auditory. 
On Dec. 18 there was a numerous attendance of the members to hear Mr. 
Lees’ concluding lecture on the phenomena of vegetation. After a few intro¬ 
ductory observations on the pleasures incident to the study of Botany, the lecturer 
described the objects and advantages of scientific classification, and pointed out 
the peculiarities of the botanical nomenclature. The strange properties ascribed 
by vulgar credulity to many of the common plants and flowers, and the simples 
and panaceas which the village doctresses compounded from them, were detailed • 
and in connexion with rustic life the origin of those floralian festivals common 
to all countries were examined. From plants of rejoicing and festivity Mr. Lees 
passed on to consider another class, associated with the darker rites of enchant- 
