96 LOCH CRERAN. 



was really busy among the many small cones, now con- 

 spicuous on the larches through the absence of the leaves. 

 We scarcely expected them to be at this work so early 

 in the year, and are the more surprised seeing that 

 friends who partook of a squirrel pie lately described them 

 as not at all turpentine tasted. No doubt the aroma of 

 beech-nuts and acorns was not yet eradicated. Of these 

 last the supply here is not very important, as although 

 the climate and soil is well suited to the oak, and these 

 trees prove most valuable timber in Barcaldine, yet the 

 fruit is very small and badly grown compared with that 

 of more favoured districts. The finest acorns we have 

 lifted in this region would not approach in size or flavour 

 those of eastern Perthshire, let alone more southern 

 counties. 



We stroll along noting the abnormal growths among 

 the trees, and particularly interested in that graceful 

 vegetable product that occasionally plays such ungraceful 

 antics the birch. No one who has peeped much amid 

 our forest foliage but must have noted and wondered at 

 the bunches, like nests, that appear on the birch, to which 

 we have formerly alluded, and which are formed of mul- 

 titudes of twigs intertwined. Here is a small specimen, 

 with a small-sized enormity, and we examine it closely, if 

 perchance some younger and less complex production 

 will furnish us with a clue to its origin. We find a less 

 and a lesser, until we come to a very young bunch 

 indeed, being merely the growth of a season. The 

 branchlet has forked, as 'tis its nature to, and one end 

 bud has seemingly been broken off. This has caused 

 additional energy and flow of sap to the wound, and 

 been followed by a number of buds, that have succeeded 

 in growing twigs some inches long. The branch has 



