DESCRIPTION OF BRITISH TREES.

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it sometimes mentioned among them. It is called Compact Felspar, differs from Common Felspar in containing Soda, and is found among Gneiss. You will hear of it again hereafter.

MAT. You mentioned just now Hornstone. Have we heard of it before?

MRS. L.-I think not. It is a species of Quartz, grey or greenish, or yellow white, of a shining lustre, not unlike horn. Fig. 6.

We are extremely sorry that the unintentional extension of some articles forces us to omit the Conversation on the Animal Kingdom which we assure our young readers, who are partial to it, shall not occur again.

DESCRIPTION OF BRITISH TREES.

No. IX.

HAWTHORN-CRATEGUS.

We have not much information to give respecting this beautiful tree, the theme of the poet, and the favourite of the spring, but not the most famed for the variety or extent of its uses. Under the familiar name of May, we all delight in its beautiful blossoms and exquisite perfumes, we watch their opening as the sure harbinger of summer, being seldom in blossom till the treacherous spring weather is pretty well passed; and at the commencement of winter, we see it laden with red berries, the undisputed treasure of the birds. The name of May is probably derived from the month in which it is expected to appear-but in ordinary seasons we seldom see it till June. The Hawthorn is of the Class Icosandria Digynia-though on examination we shall find the flower has seldom more than one pistil. The manner of its growth is rude and wild, in old trees remarkably picturesque. The leaves are small, shining, and variously cut.

"The Hawthorn, of all other Thorns, is the best calculated for forming a good fence."-"Quickset hedges are of great antiquity. It appears from Homer, that when Ulysses returned to his father Laertes, the good old man had sent his servants into the woods to gather young Thorns, and was occupied himself in preparing ground to receive them.-Odyss. Lib. xxiv. Varro call this sort of fence, Tutela naturalis et viva. And Columella prefers it before the structile one, or dead hedge, as being more lasting and less expensive." -HUNTER.

The Quickset-hedges, so common in every part of the country for fencing, are chiefly of this plant, which is not very commonly allowed to grow up into large trees; except occasionally for ornament.

"To other uses. The root of an old Thorn is excellent both for boxes and combs, and is curiously and naturally wrought: I have read that they made ribs to small boats and vessels with the White Thorn; and it is certain, that if they were planted single, and in standards, where they might be safe, they would rise into large bedded trees in time, and be of excellent use for the turner, not inferior to Box. It was accounted among the fortunate trees, and therefore used in Fasces Nuptiarum."-EVELYN.

"Dans les mariages des anciens Grecs, on portoit des branches fleuries d'Aubépine; il falloit en outre que les flambeaux qui devoient éclairer les nouveaux époux, lorsqu'ils entroient dans la chambre nuptiale, fussent faits de bois d'Aubépine.”—GENLIS.

Under the general name of Thorns, and composing what are called quickset hedges, we have several other plants beside this White-thorn, as the Black-thorn, Buck-thorn, &c.-but they are not of the same Class and Order as the above. Speaking of the Thorns in general, Evelyn adds

"There are none of the spinous shrubs more hardy, none that make a more glorious show, nor fitter for our defence, competently armed; especially the Rhamnus, (Buckthorn,) which I therefore join to the Oxycantha, (Hawthorn) for its terrible and almost irresistible spines, able almost to pierce a coat of mail: and for this made use of by the malicious Jews, to crown the sacred temples of our blessed Saviour; and it is yet preserved among the venerable relics in St. Chapel at Paris, as is pretended by the devotees, &c., and hence has the tree, for it sometimes exceeds a shrub, the name of Christ's Thorn."-EVELYN.

"The Rhamnus Paluerus (Buckthorn) is supposed to be the plant that composed the crown that was placed upon the head of Christ at his crucifixion; but Dr. Haselquist, who had great opportunities of examining the plants of the Holy Land, is of opinion that it was a species of Ziziphus, which grows in great plenty in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem. It is a very thorny plant."--HUNTER.

This appears to be little more than a conjectural opinion-other writers have formed different conclusions respecting the plant of which the Saviour's crown was woven. The beautiful Red May is only a variety of the White.

HYMNS AND POETICAL RECREATIONS.

"I am as a Sparrow alone on the housetops.—"

ALONE within the sound and ken,
And noise, and habitings of men,

A stranger, uncompanion'd and unknown-
To sit there all the even-tide,

Where none will come to sit beside

One in the mid-world dwelling, yet alone.

Upon the house-top-even there
Where all so gay, so busy are,

A single one, and lonely even there-
Aye, lonelier far in crowds to move,

With none to seek, and none to love,

Than if he wander'd on the desert bare.

A Sparrow-a despised one—

A poor, neglected bird, that none

Will haply seek for pleasure or for gain

He has no morning song to sing,

He has no painting on his wing,

To get for recompence the scattered grain.

And, oh! in all the busy throng
That sweeps the crowded world along,

Is there a thing so sad, so lone beside?
That none will love, that none will own,
Condemn'd to think, to feel alone,

Of all neglected and of all denied.

There was one once-He walked among
The eager and the busy throng,

A stranger, and unwelcome, and unknown

His lofty spirit look'd in vain,

Down on the habitings of men,

To see, in all that crowd, if there was one

One who would love him, or would love
Ought that he lov’d below, above,

Share in his labours, or divide his woe.
Angels, his once companions, ne'er

His equals, angels were not there—

Or if they were, they too forsook him now.

Alone in holiness, alone

In wisdom, understood of none,

And wonder'd at, and question'd of in vainUnfit for earth because a God

Unfit for heaven, for he stood

Charg'd with man's yet unexpiated sin.

And if it should be that there dwell,
More lone than in the vestal's cell,

One upon earth who has no kindred there-
Gone the things she lov'd beneath,
And gone the heart she lov'd them with,

To find itself a happiness elsewhere:—

Who weeps alone, though thousands near
Are weeping too, but not for her—

And sits alone with hundreds at her side

And thinks alone, and feels alone

A winter leaf, that hangs upon

The summer bough in all its fresh-blown pride

Say to that one, that He who trod

So lonely once this earthly sod,

Stain'd with his blood, and moisten'd with his tears

And own'd no kindred by the way,

With the happy and the gay,

Will own it with a bosom such as her's.

MISSIONARY HYMN.

LORD of Mercy, hear our wishes,

Earth is weary of her chain;
Nature groaning in corruption,
Longs to be her God's again.

Warm our hearts to do thine errand,
Teach us where to find thine own.

How we long to tell to others,

All the mercies we have known.

Pardon, Lord, our long delaying;

Pardon that we slept so long:
Never more we cease thy praises,

Till the world resound our song.

Song for the Tune of "Whisperings heard" in the National Melodies.

WARBLINGS of the morning Lark

That wakes our souls to pleasure;
Flowers whence the thievish Bee
Steals his hidden treasure;
Each blossom unclosing,
Each rude wind reposing,
Joys of Spring how soon they pass,
The joys of Spring how fleeting.

Bright hopes of our early days,
That dream of sorrow never;
Promises of future draughts
Of bliss that lasts for ever;
Our bosoms believing,
Each promise receiving,
Joys of Youth how soon they pass,
The joys of Youth how fleeting.

REVIEW OF BOOKS.

Memoirs and Poetical Remains of the late Jane Taylor, with Extracts from her Correspondence.-By Isaac Taylor.-Price 16s.-Holdsworth, 1825.

So many useful and unpretending works are constantly coming from this family of authors, we have hitherto had a very confused idea of the difference between one and the other. We have long had an intention of noticing these works altogether, which we shall shortly put in execution. By these memoirs we learn that the younger lady has finished her task upon earth; and that she was the