28 IN A GLOUCESTERSHIRE GARDEN 



Three February shrubs may be classed together, the 

 Hamamelis, the Parrottia, and the Comus mascula. 

 They are all examples of Forbes Watson's remark 

 that most of the early shrubs produce their flowers 

 without leaves. He gives reasons for this which I 

 cannot fully understand. The Hamamelis and the 

 Parrottia flowers are simply bundles of stamens, very 

 pretty, but not very conspicuous, and both foreigners ; 

 but we have one British shrub with similar flowers, 

 with which I will conclude my February record. 



I always look out for the little female blossoms of 

 the filbert, and always admire them. Every one knows 

 the male catkins, which look so pretty when the nut- 

 trees are bare of leaves, and some know the little 

 crimson blossom which is now open ready to receive 

 the pollen from the catkin. It is very small, but if 

 examined with a moderate lens it will be seen to be a 

 bunch of bright crimson pistils enclosed within some 

 bracts. As soon as it is fertilised a very curious thing 

 happens, of which I know no other instance. The 

 little flower is placed upon last year's wood, and if it 

 were an apple, or a peach, or any other fruit-tree, the 

 perfect fruit would be there also. But the nut acts 

 otherwise ; it at once starts away from the old wood, 

 and forms behind itself a thin branch, four or five 

 inches long, at the end of which it ripens into a nut ; 



