150 THE BEECH. 



shed their leaves. But no ! after these had fulfilled their 

 office as living organs, another remained to be performed, 

 and they must stay where they are until thrust off in the 

 spring by the expanding buds. We know not what their 

 office is j perhaps it is to protect the embryo leaves of the 

 coming year, while the tree is yet young and tender : but 

 even though we may be wrong in our surmise, the error 

 cannot be an important one, if it has led us to meditate 

 faithfully on the watchful superintendence which God 

 exercises over all the works of His creation. 



We may often see, on the bole of a Beech, scattered 

 excrescences called " knurs," varying in size from a pea to 

 a large marble. They may be separated from the tree by 

 a smart blow with a stick, and are found to be composed 

 of a solid ball of wood surrounded by a layer of bark like 

 that of the rest of the tree. The woody part is completely 

 imbedded in bark, from which they would appear to have 

 been deposited, thus confirming the well-known fact that 

 such is universally the origin of woody fibre. Whether 

 they originated from the puncture of the bark by an insect, 

 or from what other cause, is not known. If planted in the 

 earth, it is said that they will grow : and I have occasionally 

 observed them shooting while attached to the tree. 



Come again to this spot, 



" When rosy-footed May 

 Steals blushing on ; " 



the delicate leaves with their glossy silk fringe, now so 

 carefully wrapped up in the bud of from twenty to thirty 

 membranous scales, will then be showing their vivid green 

 011 the lower branches, the bud scales as yet loosely cling- 

 ing to their base. In a few days more the verdure creeps 

 up the whole tree, gradually deepening in hue, and as- 

 suming a brighter polish. The silken fringe, which was 

 so conspicuous when the leaf emerged from its winter's 

 covering, becomes more scattered as the leaf increases in 

 size, the latter being slightly notched, and having the 



