10 HABIT [CH. 



like Stone Piue of Italy (Fig. 2) ; or the erect and almost 

 cylindrical fastigiate Lombardy Poplar (Fig. 4) and the 

 Mediten-anean Cypress (Fig. 3) with the broad spreading 

 Oak, and, even more striking, the Weeping Willow (Fig. 5). 

 Further instances are easily found among our climbing 

 plants, such as the scrambling Blackberries, the root- 

 climbing Ivy, the twining Hop and Honeysuckle, leaf- 

 climbers such as Clematis and tendril-climbers such as 

 the Vine. 



At first sight, however, it may appear that if we 

 confine our attention to British trees and shrubs their 

 similarity or even monotony of habit is fatal to any 

 attempt at classifying them by their general characters 

 of growth. This is to some extent true. The prevalent 

 form of our ordinary trees so generally approaches a single 

 type — e.g. that of a trunk bearing a more or less rounded 

 head of foliage, as in any well-grown Lime, Oak, Beech,&c. — 

 that some observation is needed to detect sufficient dif- 

 ferences by which to separate them at a distance, and 

 without reference to details. A little reflection, however, 

 suggests that distinctions must exist, otherwise artists 

 and foresters would not recognise trees in the way they 

 do ; and further consideration of the matter convinces us 

 that if we properly examine the general efif'ect of the form 

 and colour of trees, much can be done in the way of 

 familiarising ourselves with them in the landscape as we 

 travel past — say in a carriage, or even in a railway train ; 

 and, as our experience grows, acute observation of such 

 additional points as relative size, depth of shade, heaviness 

 or lightness of foliage, rigidity or otherwise of branching, 

 and the angles of divergence, flexuousness, and so forth, of 

 the twigs, persistence of leaves, together with peculiarities 

 of growth and situation, lead to the summation of a 

 number of characters which lose vagueness in proportion 



