Handbook of Nature-Study 



come directly from the root and not from stems. These plants love the 

 woodlands, and by spreading their green leaves early, before the trees are 

 in foliage, they have the advantage of the spring sunshine. Thus they 

 make their food for maturing their seeds, and also store some of it in their 

 roots for use early the following spring. By midsummer the leaves have 

 entirely disappeared, and another carpet is spread in the place which they 

 once covered . 



Dutchman's breeches and squirrel corn 

 resemble each other so closely that they are 

 often confused; however, they are quite 

 different in form; the "legs" of the Dutch- 

 man's breeches are quite long and spread 

 wide apart, while the blossoms of the squir- 

 rel corn are rounded bags instead of "legs." 

 The roots of the two are quite different. 

 The Dutchman's breeches grows from a 

 little bulb made up of grayish scales, while 

 the squirrel corn develops from a round, 

 yellow tuber; these yellow, kernel-like 

 tubers are scattered along the roots, each 

 capable of developing a plant next year. 

 The Dutchman's breeches likes thin wood- 

 lands and rocky hillsides, but the squirrel 

 corn prefers rich, moist woods. The blos- 

 som of the Dutchman's breeches comes the earlier of the two. These 

 flowers are white with yellow tips, and are not fragrant. The flowers of 

 the squirrel corn are grayish with a tinge of magenta, 

 and are fragrant. 



The legs of the Dutchman's breeches are nectar 

 pockets with tubes leading to them, and are formed 

 by two petals. Opposite these two petals are two 

 others more or less spoon-shaped, with the spoon 

 bowls united to protect the anthers and stigma. 

 There are two little sepals which are scalelike. 



The seed capsule of the Dutchman's breeches is a 

 long pod with a slender, pointed end, and it opens 

 lengthwise. The seed capsules of the squirrel corn 

 are similar and I have found in one capsule, 12 seeds, 

 which were shaped like little kernels of corn, black in 5^ capsule of 

 color and polished like patent leather. squirel corn. 



The underground store-house of 

 Dutchman' 's breeches. 



LESSON CXXI 

 DUTCHMAN'S BREECHES AND SQUIRREL CORN 



Leading thought The Dutchman's breeches, or "boys and girls," as 

 it is often called, is one of the earliest flowers of rich woodlands. There 

 are interesting differences between this flower and its close relative, 

 squirrel corn. The flowers of both of these resemble in structure the 

 flowers of the bleeding heart. 



Method As the Dutchman's breeches blossoms in April and May and 

 the squirrel corn in May and June, we naturally study the former first 

 and compare the latter with it in form and in habits. The questions 



