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can be indubitably recognised, they are appreciated easily enough 

 when seen in the field. Bnt the differences between the two 

 " close " barks, although perfectly evident to the expert eye of 

 Mr. Shaw, are by no means obvious to the uninitiated- Nor was 

 it possible after careful "coaching" to fix on any distinctive 

 features in the bark as a help for future occasions. This, however, 

 is only one more of those instances, common to pretty nearly 

 every walk in life, where distinctions clear enough to the trained 

 eye are quite hidden from the outsider. 



But although the bark afforded no help in the differentiation of 

 the two M close-barks," the trees were distinct enough in other 

 respects. The habit of this second tree was more spreading 

 than that of S. alba, var. caemlea ; the leaf was smaller 

 and not so blue ; and the trees, being devoid of fruit, were 

 presumably male. Mr. Linton considers this tree to be Salix 

 viridis of Fries. 



Salix viridis is a hybrid between S. alba and S. fragilis and as 

 these species frequently grow together they have no doubt cross- 

 bred very many times. It is quite probable also that the progeny 

 have interbred with the parent species again. At any rate Salix 

 viridis is a very variable tree, showing numerous intermediate 

 gradations between the two parents — sometimes approaching 

 S. alba and S. alba, var. caemlea so closely in leaf as to be indis- 

 tinguishable from them, and sometimes showing very distinctly 

 the influence of S. fragilis. Its advent into the Cricket Bat 

 Willow question has created a good deal of confusion. A speci- 

 men approaching S. alba, var. caerulea may be described as good 

 by the bat-mak 



will be account* . ., 



From the bat-maker's point of view the timber of Salix viridis 

 is not so good as that of 8. alba, var. caerulea because the wood is 

 coarser and heavier. A bat made of good S. viridis timber would 

 weigh about 2 lb. 7 oz. to the 2 lb. 4 oz. of 8. alba, var. caerulea. 

 The difference in market value is also so considerable as to be 

 important to intending planters. Mr. Shaw stated that, for trees 

 of equal size, buyers would give £10 for the 8. alba, var. caerulea, 

 but only £6 for the 8. viridis. 



With regard to the botanical characters of Salix viridis, it is 

 difficult to give a concise description. It has already been explained 

 that it is a hybrid between 8. alba and 8. fragilis, with which 

 it has bred and interbred till it now forms* an almost complete 

 series of links between those two species. Therefore S. viridis 

 in its various characters is more or less intermediate between the 

 other two ; this refers more especially to the angles at which the 

 branches grow ; the serration and pubescence of the leaf ; the 

 density of the flowers on the male catkins ; the size of the ovaries, 

 the length of their pedicels and the distinctness of their styles. 

 In some states, again, S. viridis has one set of organs, say leaves 

 and twigs, resembling one parent, whilst the ovaries are almost 

 identical with those of the other. In practice, as the late Dr. 

 tfncnanan White observed, it requires the trained eye of the 

 sancoiogist to detect and balance up the various characters that 

 go to make Salix viridis. 



