250 AUTUMNAL LEAVES. 



districts ; and numberless examples could be 

 furnished of the marvellous growth and vigour 

 of this tree under circumstances which would be 

 depressing to many species of vegetation. 



Very beautiful in spring and summer is the 

 handsome leaf of the Western Plane for the 

 golden green of spring scarcely loses its verdant 

 lightness with the arrival of the riper season : 

 and it is delightful then to look up into the 

 luxuriant mass of foliage that shuts out the 

 scorching sun-rays. But fair to the eye as are 

 the external form and colour of the leaf of the 

 Western Plane the framework upon which the 

 beautiful tissue is so attractively spread is equally 

 pleasing. If a rough comparison were instituted 

 it would be found that the Plane leaf is not unlike 

 that of the Sycamore ; or rather it should strictly 

 be said that the Sycamore somewhat resembles 

 the Plane, having in fact, received the name of 

 Acerpseudo-platanus, or the 'False Plane.' Whilst, 

 however, the one leaf is dark green, as we have 

 seen, the other is almost golden. Like the Syca- 

 more the Plane is more or less distinctly five- 

 lobed, though the lobes are pyramidal instead of 



