526 



THE NATURE BOOK 



surely one of the 

 most beautiful in 

 nature. 



THE FIELD 

 MAPLE 



This, \Ahen met 

 with as a tree, is 

 of smaller dimen- 

 sions every way. 

 Except when drawn 

 upwards, scekingthe 

 light, through over- 

 shadowing of neigh- 

 bouring growths, it 

 shows a rounded, 

 rather stunted, 

 crown. Chiefly found 

 as a hedge plant, it 

 is most noticeable 

 for its autumn col- 

 ouring of shining 

 gold, brilliant, as 



crescentic. The angu- 

 lar incisions separat- 

 ing the leaf-divisions 

 are acute. The leaf- 

 margins are irregu- 

 larly toothed. The 

 leaf-stalks are often 

 a brilliant red. The 

 paired winged-fruits 

 take the form nn)re 

 or less of a horse- 

 shoe ; whilst each 

 separate wing, curv- 

 ing broadly at the 

 apex, narrows to- 

 wards the base, and 

 is bounded by a flow- 

 ing line which is 



pre- 



y 



a 4 



WINTER TWIGS OF 



(1) Norway Maple. 



(2) Ash-leaved Maple. 



(3) Field Maple. 



(4) Sycamore. 



with glow of sunshine, amidst the 

 vailing greens and reds and browns. 



The twigs are velvety, yellowish gi'een 

 to brown in colour. These become very 

 thick and corky, after the manner of some 

 Elm twigs, but they do not show the 

 extended elongated wings of the latter. 

 The buds are pressed up against the twig. 



CORKY TWIG OF FIELD MAPLE. 



and are green to brown in colour. The 

 terminal butl is small. The scars are V- 

 shaped. The leaves have five broad, 

 bluntly pointed divisions ; and the in- 

 cisif)ns between these are deep and 

 rounded. The margins are wavy rather 

 than toothed. The wings of the paired 

 fruits have their edges parallel, and are 

 extended in a straight hne, sometimes 

 even reflexed. Crowded excrescences of 

 a brilliant red, the work of a mite, are 

 frequent on the leaves. 



THE NORWAY MAPLE 



The closest resemblance between a 

 Maple and a Plane is shown by this tree. 



