682 



THE NATURE BOOK 



and shoots have but a thin outer woody 

 coating, all within being soft pith. The 

 buds are arranged upon these in opposite 

 pairs. They have a few loose scales at 

 the base, above which the tips of the 

 young leaves are seen as green unprotected 

 tufts throughout the winter. 



The leaves are compound, made ap of 



TRUNK AND BARK OF ELDER. 



from two to hve pairs of leaflets \vith a 

 single terminal one. These leaflets are 

 oval and ])ointed, having their margins 

 rather coarsely toothed. The flowers are 

 individually small, with five creamy white 

 petals. They are made conspicuous by 

 their grouping into a rounded flat ex- 

 tension, which suggests a i)latter upheld 

 on a five-branched support. They secrete 

 no nectar, but are much visited for their 

 pollen by many kinds of flies, to whom 

 their rather disagreeable scent is evi- 

 dently an attraction. The fruit, upheld 

 in the same way, and grouped as the 

 flowers, takes the form of a stone fruit, 

 small, round, having three stones em- 

 bedtled in its juicy pulp. It is eagerly 

 swallowed by numbers of small birds, 



and in this way its con- 

 tained seeds are effectively 

 dispersed. 



THE HOLLY 



The Holly can never be 

 mistaken, whether met 

 with as hedge, bush or 

 tree. Its use in our 

 Christmas decorations has 

 assured that. It may be 

 found by almost every 

 wayside, and is often 

 abundant as woodland 

 undergi^owth. It is most 

 distinctive when other 

 trees are bare of leaves, 

 but not only for the fact 

 that its leaves remain. Its 

 ripe, red, coral-like berries, 

 crowded on the twigs 

 amongst its rich green, 

 varnished foliage, render 

 it conspicuous at this 

 season, spreachng a rich 

 glow of colour in striking 

 contrast to the wintry 

 surroundings. 



The bark is smooth, 

 ashen grey in colour, re- 

 calHng that of the beech. elder twig. 

 The lea\-es, dark green 

 and polished, thick in substance, hard 

 and leathery in texture, are typical ever- 



elder leaves. 



