35 



gave a curious effect to the sprays of leaves, an effect 

 I have never seen either before or since. 



SKELETON LEAVES 



Finding a last year's bulb turned into a skeleton 

 by the action of rain and wind, and lying like a 

 piece of lace-work on the 

 surface of the ground, I picked 

 it up this morning, and have 

 since then been looking for 

 such other instances of woody 

 fibre as it may be possible to 

 light upon in the garden and 

 fields. 



Under my holly trees were 

 some very perfect skeleton 

 leaves, only needing to be 

 bleached in a weak solution of 

 chloride of lime to form charm- 

 ing sprays to place with other 

 leaves under a glass shade. 



Magnolia leaves may often be found thus turned 

 into skeletons when they have been lying on damp 

 ground for some months ; but as these and other 

 specimens are seldom quite perfect, the best way, 

 if we wish for a case of really beautiful lace-like 

 leaves, is to make them for ourselves, by gathering 

 well-matured specimens of suitable species, and 

 placing them in a deep pan full of soft water, 

 letting them soak until the upper and under skins 

 of the leaves are rotted, when they can be brushed 

 off with a camel-hair pencil. 



When the skeletons are bleached, they should be 



SKELETON BULB. 



