206 THE BIRCH. 



terror of idle schoolboys, is of high classical authority. 

 Branches of this tree were formerly used for decking the 

 houses in Eogation week, as Holly is at Christmas. 

 Gerard says the branches " serve well to the decking up 

 of houses and banquetting roomes for places of pleasure, 

 and beautifying the streetes in the Cross, or gang, weeke" 

 (the same as Eogation week), "and such like." 



The Birch is a native of the colder regions of Europe 

 and Asia. Throughout the whole of the Russian empire 

 it is more common than any other tree, being found in 

 every wood and grove from the Baltic Sea to the Eastern 

 Ocean, and frequently occupying the forest to the exclusion 

 of almost every other tree. It grows from Mount Etna to 

 Iceland ; in the warmer countries being found at a high 

 elevation in the mountains, and varying in character 

 according to the temperature. In Italy, where it grows, 

 though it appears from Pliny's account not to have been 

 noticed by the ancients, it forms little woods at an eleva- 

 tion of six thousand feet; on some of the Highland 

 mountains it is found at the height of three thousand 

 five hundred feet. In Greenland it is the only tree; 

 but wherever it grows it diminishes in size according to 

 the decreased temperature to which it is exposed. 



The peculiar characteristics of the Birch are, as it has 

 been remarked, lightness and elegance, qualities which are 

 owing to the slenderness of the main stem in proportion 

 to its height, the wiriness of the branches, and the thin- 

 ness and small size of the foliage. It is equally remark- 

 able for the colouring of its bark, which is marked with 

 brown, yellow, and silvery touches, which are very pic- 

 turesque, contrasting well with the dark green hue of the 

 leaves. The younger twigs have no such variety of colour, 

 being of a uniform purple brown. The leaves are sharp, 

 pointed, stalked, and unevenly serrated. In April and 

 May the flowers appear in the form of drooping catkins, 

 some of which produce stamens only and drop off early. 

 The fertile ones bear very small winged nuts, and fall to 



