154 



THE NATURE BOOK 



individual grace of this tree most appears. 

 Then the rich tracery of its curved branch- 

 ings is fully revealed in glistening bronze — 

 outflowing, tapering to utmost fineness, 

 intermingled but never 

 involved, tingling with 

 life to the farthest 

 libre, scarcely less evi- 

 dent in this its winter's 

 " beauty " sleep than 

 in the coming spring's 

 awakening. 



In spring the newly 

 unfolded leaves spread 

 themselves out, or droop 

 half-pendulous, accord- 

 ing to the inclination 

 of the twigs, over- 

 spreading like a green 

 mist. Crowds of catkins, 

 brown changing to yel- 

 low, hang and quiver 

 in front of the dainty 

 leaves. 



In summ:r the cat- 

 kins have disappeared, 

 the leaves have darkened 

 in colour on 

 the upper sur- 

 j# face and have 



M become more 



A m tremulous, 



^^ M moving with 



Wl^ the slightest 



'\f breath of wind 



so lightly 

 poised are 

 they, scatter- 

 ing scintilla- 

 tions of light. 



winte:< 



TWIG 

 AND 

 LEAF- 

 SCAR 

 (ENLARGED) OK THE BIRCH 



the sweeping folds, while still the white 

 peeps through." 



In autumn the tree again shows crowds 

 of catkins, more hidden away among the 

 leaves than were those of spring. These 

 are fruit-catkins ranged along the twigs, 

 pendulous, ripening to dryness among the 

 yellowing leaves which they outlast, 

 remaining more or less the winter through. 



The distinctive bark of the Birch is 

 thin and silver white, with thin dark 

 lines running transversely, and occasional 

 rough dark patches. Flakes of this bark 

 are shed from time to time, peeling off 

 like paper in the direction of the trans- 

 verse lines, so new bark, like finest woven 

 silk, is constantly exposed, and the silvery 

 whiteness is maintained from 3'ear to 

 year. But in some trees the silvery white- 

 ness gives place to a golden brown ; whilst 

 in those with the pendulous branch-tips 

 the bark at the base for several feet be- 

 comes rough, very corky, with deep fissures. 



The winter twigs are bronze-coloured, 

 smooth on the pendulous variety, slightly 

 hairy on that with spreading branch-tips. 



The resting buds are arranged spiially 

 on the twigs. They are somewhat spindle- 

 shaped, shorter, and in proportion stouter, 

 than those of the Beech, enclosed in 

 reddish brown scales, and pressed towards 

 the twig. The leaf-scars are small, half- 

 oval in shape, and show three tiny 

 leaf-traces. The leaves vary, but in the 

 main are triangular, often with an extended 

 sharp point at the apex. The margin shows 

 wide serrations with s^maller ones inter- 

 vening. Their colour is deep green, rather 

 shiny above, paler below, slightly trans- 

 lucent. The change in autumn is to yellow, 



George Meredith in "The 

 Egoist " gives the following 

 word-picture of the tree which 

 is inimitable in its beauty and 

 descriptive fulness: "See the 

 Silver Birch in a breeze ; here it 

 swells, there it scatters, and it is 

 jjuffed to a round, and it streams 

 like a pennon, and now gives the 

 glimpse and shine of the white 

 stem's line within, now hurries 

 over it, denying that it was 

 visible, with a chatter along 



31RCH LEAVES. 



