TREE FORMS. 57 



brittleness of the wood, a recognized charac- 

 teristic of this tree, is shown by snapped- off 

 branches not the larger, as a rule, but the smaller 

 ones ; but the absence of these scarcely detracts 

 from the symmetry of the Acacia as seen at a 

 distance. The torn and rugged appearance' of 

 the bark may be likened to what the trunk would 

 look like had it been dragged over huge, sharp 

 rocks. Its dark-brown colour is set off by the 

 green lichen which spreads in patches over it. 

 In the case of this tree, as in that of the Lime, 

 some of the apparent angularity of the rami- 

 fication is not real ; for branches snapped off at 

 their junction with a Jimb give an idea of contortion 

 when in reality there is none ; but, nevertheless, 

 twisting and sudden bending are real charac- 

 teristics of the tree. Sometimes in the process 

 of twisting, the branches double on themselves 

 and double back again, thus approaching occa- 

 sionally a form that may be likened to that of 

 the letter S. 



The appellation of ' a noble tree,' which Grilpin 

 gave to the Chestnut when ' in maturity and per- 

 fection,' is not too high praise ; and that its wintry 



