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churches, it never entered those sacred edifices but by 
mistake or ignorance of the sextons, for it was a hea¬ 
thenish and prophane plant, as having been of such dis¬ 
tinction in Druidism.” 
The legendary renown of the misletoe has detained 
us so long, that its natural history must be very briefly 
stated. It belongs to a genus containing twelve species, 
one only of which, viscum alba, is found in our groves. It 
is mostly seen on the apple-tree, the hawthorn, and the 
lime; Sir J. E. Smith adds the oak, though most other 
botanists affirm it is but very rarely found on that tree. 
This species is also a native of many parts of Europe 
and Japan. 
The manner of its propagation is thus described by 
Miller: — “The misletoe thrush, which feeds upon 
the berries of this plant in winter when it is ripe, doth 
open the seed from tree to tree; for the viscous part of 
the berry which immediately surrounds the seed, doth 
sometimes fasten it to the outward part of the bird’s 
beak, which to get disengaged of, he strikes his beak 
at the branches of a neighbouring tree, and so leaves 
the seed sticking by this viscous matter to the bark, 
which, if it lights upon a smooth part of the tree, will 
fasten itself, and the following winter put out leaves, 
and grow.” 
