HEDGE-ROWS OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF PLYMOUTH. 219 
of the Cymry, by a peculiar race of people having strong Oriental 
characteristics, and which people some authors describe as occupy- 
ing the country as far north as Argyllshire—the evidences of such 
occupation having been laid before the British Association in Sep- 
tember, 1875, in Dr. Phené’s paper on that subject—while the same. 
tree is found on Mount Elbruz in North-east Persia’”’ (this state- 
ment, from further evidence, is very questionable), ‘‘a country not 
remote from that which formed the arena of Arjuna’s exploits, and 
whence it would seem to have been imported to the west of Europe.” 
A subsequent article, entitled “‘ Further Notes on Small-fruited 
Pears,” by Dr. Masters, appeared in the Journal of Botany for 
October, 1876. He says, ‘‘ Since I wrote concerning certain small- 
fruited Pears in the August number of the Journal, two additional 
communications have reached me on the subject. One may be 
deemed wholly satisfactory; the other is so far satisfactory that it 
may serve the interests of truth by throwing a doubt upon the 
Persian origin of the forms in question. Of course in so doing the 
romantic history narrated on the authority of Dr. Phené is partially, 
but only partially, impugned.”’ He adds, ‘‘ It may suffice to repeat 
here that there is very good reason for asserting that the Pyrus 
communis, var. Briggs’, of Syme, which was found near Plymouth 
by Mr. Briggs, as formerly detailed, is the same form as that found 
in some parts of Anjou, Brittany, and the Gironde, and which is 
known to French botanists as P. cordata, Desveaux. There is also 
a Persian form, called by Buhse P. Boissieriana, referred by no less 
an authority than M. Decaisne to P. cordata, Desveaux. Such were 
the facts, leaving aside the inferences founded on them, as known 
to me when I last wrote.” Dr. Masters continues, ‘‘ Shortly after- 
wards Mr. Briggs was kind enough to forward for my inspection 
several specimens of what he thinks is the same form as that he 
originally met with. As these specimens are from barren shoots 
without flowers or fruits, it is, of course, not absolutely certain 
that they belong to the same form, though the similarity of foliage 
is so great that it seems in the highest degree probable that they do. 
‘These recently found bushes grow by an ancient lane above the 
coast between Seaton and Looe, Kast Cornwall, eleven or twelve 
miles from Egg Buckland (the original locality); and there seems 
to be good reason for considering the shrub indigenous at this new 
spot. One bush is very old and rather stunted, having been ren- 
dered the more scrubby from having had the branches cut off on 
