284 AUTUMNAL LEAVES. 



of smaller veinlets which fill up the rest of the 

 tissue forms a distinct feature, as we shall pre- 

 sently see, in the autumn colouring of the Cherry 

 leaf. 



If the foliage of the Cherry be closely examined 

 it will be noticed that the fresh green of each leaf 

 is usually overspread with a slight reddish tinge. 

 The leaf-stalks, as we have seen, are red, as are 

 also the mid-veins, and the wood of the tree itself 

 is red in colour. As Autumn approaches the 

 green of the leaf begins to turn to a light golden 

 hue, whilst the redness deepens both in shade and 

 richness and instead of remaining spread, as in 

 the summer, uniformly over the surface, shows 

 itself around the edge, at the top, at the bottom or 

 on either side of the leaf, in such a way as to con- 

 trast with the green or rich yellow tissue adjacent 

 to it. In many leaves the autumn colouring is 

 shown most plainly if not entirely upon the upper 

 surface only, which is the side most exposed to 

 the action of sunlight. In the Cherry as in some 

 other leaves the tissue is stained through by the 

 reddening pigment. A very beautiful variety of 

 the autumn tinting of the Cherry leaf is seen 



