The Seniors of the Forest 279 



This tissue, like the bundle of vessels, is guarded 

 by Nature against frosts and winds, for outside 

 the delicate green cells there is a tough encompass- 

 ing layer, or, it may be, several layers, of fibrous 

 cells with very thick walls. These strengthen the 

 leaf, rendering it less liable to be broken by gales, 

 and they also serve, in a measure, to protect the 

 inner tissues from sudden changes of temperature 

 and from the drying effect of high winds. Then, 

 outside all, is the leaf-skin or epidermis, which is 

 also thick and fibrous. 



The stomata are distributed evenly over the sur- 

 faces of these needle-shaped leaves. They pierce 

 through the epidermis, and through the fibrous 

 tissue beneath it, to the delicate green cells which 

 may have superfluous moisture to breathe away. 

 But as the cone-bearers often live on stony ground 

 and in wind-swept situations, it is desirable that 

 their leaves shall not part too readily with their 

 vegetable juices. So each stoma opens at the base 

 of a depression in the leaf-surface, where it is 

 somewhat sheltered from the direct sunlight. 



Even in New England there are a number of 

 birds which do not join the great southward migra- 

 tion, but stay to brave winter and rough weather. 

 During latter autumn this remnant is reenforced 



