764 



Handbook of Nature-Study 



Horse-chestnuts, the coin of the small bo\. 

 Photo by O. L. Foster. 



3. Take a single flower; describe the form of the calyx. Is it smooth 

 or downy ? Are the lobes all the same size ? Are the petals all alike in size 

 and shape ? What gives them the appearance of Japanese paper ? Are any 

 connected together ? Are they all splashed with color alike ? 



4. How many stamens are there? Where do you see them? What 

 color are the anthers: 1 Search the center of a flower for a pistil with its 

 green style. Do you find one in every flower? Could a bee reach the 

 nectar at the base of the blossom without touching the stigma ? Could she 

 withdraw without dusting herself with pollen?' 



5. How long after the blossom does the young fruit appear ? How does 

 it look? How many nuts are developed from each cluster of blossoms? 

 What is the shape of the bur? Into how many parts does it open? De- 

 scribe the outside; the inside. Describe the shape of the nuts, their color 

 and markings. Which make the best "conquerers," those which grow 

 single in the bur or as twins? Open a nut. Can you find any division in 

 the kernel? Is it good to eat' 



Horse-chestnut Twigs and Leaves in Spring 6. Are the buds on the 

 twigs nearly all the same size ? Where are the larger ones situated ? What 

 is the color of the buds ? How are the scales arranged on them ? Are they 

 shiny or dull ? What do the scales enfold ''. Can you tell without opening 

 them which buds contain flowers and which ones leaves? 



7. Describe the scars below the buds. What caused them? What 

 marks are on them? What made the "nails" in the horseshoe? Has the 

 twig other scars? How do the ring-marks show the age of the twig? Do 

 you see the little, light colored dots scattered over the bark of the twig? 

 What are they ? 



8. Describe how the leaf unfolds from the bud. What is the shape of 

 the leaf ? Do all the leaves have the same number of leaflets ? Do any of 



