THE MAPLE TRIBE. 137 



Brazil the Blacks prepare a poison from one of 

 the species, which slowly, but certainly, destroys 

 life. Not far from the horse-chestnut, but with 

 sugary properties, instead of soapy, is the MAPLE 

 tribe, from the sap of some species of which sugar 

 is obtained in abundance." 



"Maple-leaves are very pretty," said Mary, 

 "they turn to a bright yellow in autumn, with 

 specks of red and brown." 



"That is the Lesser Maple," said her father, 

 " which is scarcely ever seen as a tree, but is cul- 

 tivated as a hedge-row bush, for which it is well 

 fitted by its rapid growth. But the Greater Maple, 

 or Sycamore, is a very fine tree, and grows like a 

 weed in this country, although it is not a native." 



" A number of young sycamores are coming up 

 in my garden/' said Henry. " The winged seed- 

 vessels (which we call bunches of keys from their 

 odd shape) are blown by the wind from the large 

 sycamore in the paddock ; and the seeds take 

 root easily in my flower-beds." 



"Is there any sugar in our sycamore?" asked 

 Eobert. 



" Sugar has been obtained from the sap of the 

 sycamore, and the blossoms so abound in honey 



