154 History of Hingham. 



stand on East Street opposite Kilby Street. They are monuments 

 to the owners of the estate upon which they stand, who have 

 shown, themselves capable of appreciating the magnificence of 

 these superb monarchs of the forest. It is to be devoutly hoped 

 that the vandalism which has destroyed so inanv fine trees in 

 Hingham may never appear near the locality where these trees 

 stand in their sturdy grandeur. 



The Red Oak leaves are more regular and less deeply cut than 

 those of the Black or Scarlet. They are sharp-lobed and turn dull- 

 red in autumn. The acorn is very large. The inner bark is 

 reddish. 



Chestnut (Castanea sativa, Mill. var. Americana). This beau- 

 tiful tree is rare in Hingham, growing in but two or three locali- 

 ties, at Beechwoods and elsewhere. A noble specimen formerly 

 standing on Hersey Street was ruthlessly destroyed a few years 

 since. 



American Beech (Fagus ferruginea. Ait.). This fine tree 

 grows in many localities in Hingham. Its light-colored bark, 

 sharp-pointed, rigid leaves, dense habit of growth, and delicately 

 beautiful pendulous blossoms easily mark it. 



SALICACEiE. 



The Dwarf Gray Willow (Salix tristis, Ait.) may be found 

 in Third Division w r oods, on the roadside. It is a small shrub, 

 hardly two feet in height. 



The Prairie Willow (Salix humilis, Marsh.) is a shrub about 

 ten feet high, often much less. It grows in Hingham on Derby 

 Street and Gushing Street, very likely elsewhere. 



Glaucous Willow (Salix discolor, Muhl.). This shrub or small 

 tree grows everywhere in low grounds. It is our most common 

 willow. Its blossoms expand from the bud in early spring, first 

 into what the children call " pussy willows," little gray furry 

 bunches ; then as the season advances, they become long, graceful 

 catkins, covered with fragrant flowers golden with pollen. There 

 often are cones at the end of the twigs, composed of leaves abor- 

 tively developed, and crowded closely one upon another. 



Silky Willow (Salix sericea, Marsh.). This is a beautiful 

 shrub, growing on Lincoln Street and at many other localities. 

 The leaves and young branches are covered with a silky down, 

 which gives this species its distinctive name. 



Petioled Willow (Salix petiolaris, Smith). This shrub, strongly 

 resembling the previous species, grows on Lincoln Street, and has 

 been found elsewhere. It is somewhat silky, but its specific 

 name is derived from its long petioles, or leaf-stalks. 



Livid Willow (Salix rostrata, Richardson). A shrub or small 

 tree growing on Old Colony Hill, Lincoln Street, on the bank 

 of the pond at West Hingham, Lasell Street, and perhaps else- 

 where. It has a rough, dark, thick leaf, whitish underneath. 



