479 



OBSERVATIONS ON VEGETABLES. 



TREES, ORDER OP LOSING THEIR LEAVES. 



ONE of the first trees that becomes naked is the walnut: 

 the mulberry, the ash, especially if it bears many keys, 

 and the horse-chestnut, come next. All lopped trees, 

 while their heads are young, carry their leaves a long 

 while. Apple-trees and peaches remain green till very 

 late, often till the end of November: young beeches 

 never cast their leaves till spring, till the new leaves 

 sprout and push them off: in the autumn the beechen 

 leaves turn of a deep chestnut colour. Tall beeches 

 cast their leaves about the end of October. 



these sloughs so intricately interwoven amongst some brakes that it was 

 with difficulty removed without being broken: this undoubtedly was done 

 by the creature to assist in getting rid of its incumbrance. 



I have great reason to suppose that the eft or common lizard also casts 

 its skin or slough, but not entire like the snake ; for on the 30th of March, 

 1777, I saw one with something ragged hanging to it, which appeared to 

 be part of its old skin*. MARKWICK. 



* I have often seen caterpillars in the act of changing their skins, and 

 of throwing off the skin and becoming chrysalides; and also the fly in the 

 act of coming forth. The skin is thrown offby a wriggling motion of the 

 body, beginning from the head : the fly breaks through by quick and 

 sharp exertion of the legs ; the wings of the moth and butterfly are in 

 miniature when they come forth ; they immediately climb to a situation 

 where by position the wings hang down, and the wings quickly grow to 

 their full size and become rigid. If they are prevented from reaching 

 such a situation, or dislodged before the wings are full grown and 

 stiffened, they will remain rumpled and unserviceable. W. H. 



