CHAP. CXTI.

TAXA'CEiE. TA'XUS.

2077

above that a pyramid, about 20 ft. high, surmounted by a globe 10 ft. high ;and the globe was crowned by

“ A weathercock, who gaped to crow it,

This world is mine, and all below it.”

The tree ceased to be clipped,we are informed by the presentclerk of the parish, about 1780or 1790; and it is now suf-fered to assume its naturalshape, as shown in the portraitof the tree in our last Volume.

The Darley Yew. This an-cient tree stands in the church-yard of Darley in the Dale,

Derbyshire. It is a female,with a solid trunk, forking, at7 ft. above the ground, intotwo nearly upright boughs,which reach a height of about55 ft.; but its head has not thebreadth or luxuriance of theGresford Yew, mentioned be-low. Its circumference at thebase is 27 ft.; at 2 ft. 4 in. abovethe ground, 27 ft. 7 in.; at 4 ft.,

31 ft. 8 in.; and at 6 ft., 30ft.

7 in. At 4 ft. high there areexcrescences which swell thetrunk beyond its natural size ;but the mean of the three otherdimensions gives a circumference of 28 ft. 4 in., and a diameter of 9 ft. 5 in.,disregarding fractional parts. The mean diameter of the tree is, therefore,1356 lines, which, according to De Candolle’s method of calculating the age oftrees, would also be the number of its years.

The Mamhilad Yew (Jig . 1987.) stands in the churchyard of Mamhilad, afew miles north of Pontypool: it is a female ; and, 2 ft. 6 in. from the ground,where the trunk has a fair medium thickness, it measures 29 ft. 4 in. in cir-ference. At about 4 ft. high, it divides into six main boughs, one of whichis quite decayed. The trunk is hollow; and, on the north side, it has anopening down to the ground, which is gradually contracting on both sides by

H&m

mm

annual deposits of new wood. Within this opening, and in the centre ofthe original tree, is seen another, and apparently detached, yew, several feet

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