222 BRILLIANTLY COLOURED TREE SHOOTS. 



that of the natural habitats where most of these plants 

 luxuriate in a state of nature. Some of these, as the 

 intelligent reader is doubtless aware, are sun-loving 

 plants. No sun can be too hot, or too bright, for 

 some of them the crotons, for instance. * Others are 

 altogether of a shade-loving nature, and though the 

 high temperature of the torrid zone is essential to their 

 existence, yet a short exposure to the rays of a ver- 

 tical sun would speedily terminate their frail existence, 

 or at all events would shrivel up and destroy the 

 matchless grace and beauty of their delicate leaves, 

 like the breath of a furnace. It is these, and such 

 like gems, therefore, that flourish in the shady nooks, 

 and everglades, which exist in abundance beneath the 

 thick canopy of overarching foliage, concerning which 

 we have already striven to convey some faint idea to 

 those readers who have honoured us with their attention. 



This canopy, as we have said, is evergreen : through- 

 out the year it varies but little either in appearance 

 or density. There is no fall of the leaves in these 

 regions properly so speaking, corresponding with that 

 of our autumn and winter leaves are always falling, 

 however; but are also almost always budding. In the 

 tropical forests, therefore, we lose the autumn tints, so 

 much and so justly admired at home, but in their 

 place, as we shall presently show, the dwellers in the 

 torrid zone are fully compensated for the loss by the 

 exquisite brilliancy and beauty of colouring displayed 

 by the young leaves and shoots of many of their trees. 



This is a subject which, as we venture to think, is 



* Around Colombo, Ceylon, every cottage garden is adorned with 

 superb specimens of these plants. All the best varieties of Crotons do 

 well there and form regular trees, almost as large as lilacs at home. 



