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tough waterproof hood, which shields them from the 
rude winds and nipping cold. 
This plant bears the ugly name of skunk cabbage 
(Fig. 196). Its broken stem and leaves give out an 
odor which at once persuades you that its title is 
deserved. 
In the swamps the skunk cabbages send up by the 
dozen the curious purple hoods which curl about the 
thick clusters of little flowers. When you come across 
a colony of these queer-looking objects, no wonder it 
never occurs to you that the first flower 
of spring is at hand. The great shiny 
hoods look more like snails than like 
flowers ; and indeed usually the flowers 
are not in sight at all, so well are they 
shielded by these hood-like leaves. 
But each little hidden flower has four 
flower leaves, four stamens, and one 
pistil. When they have been dusted 
with pollen by fly visitors, and are preparing to turn 
into fruit, the purple hoods wither away. Then the 
plant sends up clusters of large bright green leaves. 
In June, you see these great leaves everywhere in the 
wet woods. 
So if you wish to be on hand to welcome the very 
first flower of the year, you must begin to keep your 
eyes open by the end of February. You must visit the 
swamps each day, and look for the purple hoods inside 
which are snugly hidden the little blossoms of the 
skunk cabbage. 
And I advise you now to take a sheet of paper and 
