2 HANDBOOK OF NATURE STUDY 



bulb. We shall study this plant somewhat minutely, because 

 it shows nearly all the parts of a plant very clearly. 



The beautiful flower consists of six large, white, reddish 

 or yellowish leaves. Before the opening of the flower these 

 leaves are folded around the delicate parts inside, arid pro- 

 tect them from frost and cold rains. 



Within the bright-colored flower leaves we notice, ar- 

 ranged in a whirl or circle, six tiny bags filled with a 

 yellow dust, which adheres to our fingers, if we touch one 

 of the broken dust bags. The little bags are attached to 

 delicate thread-like bodies, which we shall call dust threads, 

 because they carry the flower dust in the little bags. 



In the centre of the flower we find a body, which resem- 

 bles in shape the pestle of a very small mortar, and it is 

 therefore called the pistil. The head of the pistil looks as 

 if it had been injured and were just healing. This scar- 

 like surface is called the stigma. Now, let us cut open the 

 lower part of the pistil, and we shall find the small, white 

 ovules, or rudimentary seeds. The lower part of the pistil 

 is called the ovary because it contains the ovules. 



The stem bears but few leaves, which always arise very 

 close to the ground. They are soft and juicy and surround 

 the stem with their bases. What is their shape ? Are they 

 rough, hairy, or smooth ? 



If we carefully separate the leaves of a growing or 

 sprouting onion, we find that their bases are widened and 

 that each outer leaf completely encircles the next inner 

 one. The fleshy part is enclosed in several dry skins, 

 which keep the moisture in the bulb and also prevent its 

 decay. You may now compare the structure of the tulip 

 bulb with the structure of an onion, and then describe the 

 former. 



Observations. Reappearance of frogs, frog eggs in ponds and ditches, 

 f the development of the tadpoles. 



