306 
NATURAL HISTORY OE THE MISTLETOE. 
its course was again continued from the nearest tree that presented itself on the 
opposite side of the water. I remember once observing a long line of hedge over¬ 
topped by straggling Hawthorns and scrubby Maples, every one of both of which 
was hung with Mistletoe; but, curiously enough, an Oak in the centre of the 
hedge was passed over, though the parasite was luxuriant on a Hawthorn close 
under the umbrage of the Oak.* The large rotund bushy mass that the Mistletoe 
forms is often very striking, especially if it be pendent; and it is remarkable 
that there is no disposition in the plant to destroy the tree where it grows, as, 
except at the point from which it develops itself, the radicles penetrate no further 
than the sap-wood. The Mistletoe, therefore, seems only to act the part of a 
pseudo-bud upon the tree, no doubt extracting from it nourishment that would 
have developed a large branch, but not doing material mischief, except existing in 
excess, or so far surrounding any branch as to cut off the supplies of nutriment 
from proceeding farther, save into its own reservoirs. It seems always full of 
moisture, and being therefore extremely brittle, it is corded tightly together by 
lateral ligatures, that, extending along each dichotomization beneath the epidermis, 
preserve it from the effects of common accidents ; while the base of each branch 
is firmly socketed into a swelling nob that surmounts the inferior one—thus a 
regular dichotomous series of branches is formed, all firmly articulated in an 
ossiform manner into each other, and yet each branch may be considered an 
independent plant, with leaves, flowers, and fruit. 
It seems curious, that though the Mistletoe flowers earlier in the year than the 
Apple-trees on which it flourishes, yet it does not ripen its small white berries 
till December, long after most others, and thus is called by Virgil 44 frig ore 
viscum ”—the Wintry Mistletoe. This may not improbably arise from its being 
unable to steal sufficient nutriment from its nurse till the latter has got rid of her 
own legitimate offspring, and lost her foliage too. But at any rate this fact is 
opposed to the commonly-received notion of the descent of the sap in trees before 
Winter, and its dormant state in that season; for if it were so, how could the 
parasitical Mistletoe, which derives its subsistence entirely from the imbibition of 
the juices of the tree on which it is found, flourish as it does in Winter, if in 
reality there were, no supplies of sap for it to have access to ? for it very soon 
dies when separated from the foster-parent on which it feeds. It certainly con¬ 
trives to establish a fund of its own in the hard yet juicy tubercles and its 
exsertion in the stem ; but still its root, which is analogous to a sucker, and 
devoid of obvious radical fibrils, plunged in the sap-wood of the tree, seems always 
* Perhaps where the Mistletoe is scarce or not at all met with in Apple-orchards, as stated by 
Dr. Davies, of Presteign, of those of Radnorshire, the localities may not be frequented by the 
Winter migratory birds belonging to the Thrush family. 
