HOESE-CHESTNUT. 241 



them adjacent to the branches from which they 

 diverge. 



The leaves of the Horse-Chestnut are variable 

 in the hue and richness of their autumn colouring 

 on different trees in different situations, even in the 

 same season the variations depending on soil and 

 aspect and on the greater or less exposure of the 

 tree to the action of the sun's rays. But oftentimes 

 the display of colour in the early season of 

 Autumn is very striking and beautiful. At first the 

 deep green of summer is, with scarcely perceptible 

 lightness, tinged at the tips of the leaves. It is 

 merely a slight paling of the green. Soon the 

 touch of invading brightness deepens in intensity 

 the pale green turning to golden brown at the 

 tips, whilst the adjoining tissue near the mid- vein, 

 and previously dark green, becomes slightly paler 

 and finally takes a hue of golden brown. Some- 

 times the whole leaf is lightened in hue almost 

 uniformly over its surface, every leaflet being 

 equally affected. But frequently, yellow, orange, 

 or golden brown, will advance down the tissue 

 between the parallel spaces formed by the principal 

 branch veins on one side only of a leaflet it may 



p 



