THE BIRD-CHERRY. 121 



other double flowers, it produces no fruit ; but the structure 

 of its blossoms is particularly interesting to the physiolo- 

 gical botanist, illustrating, better perhaps than any other 

 plant, the fact that the seed-vessel, among other compound 

 organs, is a metamorphosed or transformed leaf, altered in 

 structure and functions, so as to perform offices in vege- 

 table economy entirely different from those of the true leaf. 

 In the double Cherry it appears to return to its primitive 

 form ; for in the centre of each flower is a minute leaf, 

 exactly similar to those of the branches, notched and 

 veined in the same manner, and even folded together like 

 the young stem-leaves. Other double flowers, beside those 

 of the Cherry, occasionally present the same appearance, 

 especially Eoses ; but in all these the phenomenon is an 

 irregular mode of growth, whereas in the Cherry it is 

 constant. 



The Cherry is a favourite tree of the Woodpecker, who 

 perforates its trunk for the sake of feeding on the larvae 

 of insects, and hollowing out his nest : but the remarks 

 made at page 68 are equally applicable to the case of this 

 tree. 



THE BIRD-CHERRY. 



C^RASUS PADUS. 



THE Bird-Cherry in its wild state rarely attains the 

 dimensions of a tree ; but there are in existence cultivated 

 specimens between thirty and forty feet high, and a foot 

 or more in diameter. It is most worthy of attention for 

 its copious long clusters of snow-white flowers, which are 

 much smaller than those of the Cherry, and soon fade. 

 The fruit, called also Fowl-Cherry, Cluster-Cherry, and in 

 Scotland Hag-Cherry, is small and worthless. " Birds of 

 several kinds soon devour this fruit, which is nauseous, 

 and probably dangerous to mankind, though perhaps not 



G 



