790 



THE NATURE BOOK 



each little blossom possessing a live-clett 

 calyx, a li\e-clel't corolla, live stamens, 

 and three stigmas ; this is succeeded by 

 a round, one-celled black berry, very 

 much the same size as a buckshot. The 

 bark of the old wood is greyish j^ellow, 

 whilst that of the young shoots is green. 

 Both the stems and the branches are full 

 of a light. s])ongv pith, which can be easily 

 remoN'ed. leaving the hollow stem, well 

 known to bovs for making whistles and 

 pojiguns. 



As to the origin of the name Elder. Prior 

 states that the word is derived from the 

 Anglo-Saxon ccld, meaning to kindle, " A 

 name which, we may suppose that it 

 acquired from its hollow branches being 

 used, like the bamboo in the tropics, to 

 blow up a fire." In old times the tree was 

 supposed to ha\'e great medicinal proper- 

 ties, and a perfumed liquid, called Ekler- 

 flower water, was made by distilling the 

 flowers with water and alcohol. 



In many country districts Elderflower 

 wine, and also Elderberry Wine, still 

 are made in considerable quantities. It 

 is said, too, that the juice obtained by 

 pressing the berries was, at one time, 

 largely used in adulterating foreign wines. 



No honey is secreted by these flowers, 

 but there is a very sweet scent which 

 serves to attract insects. 



PRIVET 



The Primprint, or Privet {Ligtistnim 

 vulgar e), is a common shrub, the more so 

 because it is largely used for making 

 hedges. It, like the common Ash, is a 

 member of the Olive family [Oleacecc). 

 The leaves are opposite, and all of them 

 smooth and undivided, and nearly ever- 

 green. The white flowers are borne in 

 short ]mnicles or bunches at the ends of 

 the branches, and have a faint, sweet 

 smell ; these are succeeded in the autumn 

 by purple-black berries, which remain 

 on the shrub for the greater part of the 

 winter or until they are demolished by 

 the birds. The name Privet is a corrup- 

 tion of Prymet, which in its turn is 

 derived from the French Prime Prin- 

 tempif., a iiame formerly given to the 

 Primrose. Dr. Prior states that the 

 generic name, Ligusirmn, was at one time 

 a]:)plied to the Primrose, but that it was 

 afterwards transferred to this shrub — 

 hence the confusion in the names. 



H. PuREFOY Fitzgerald. 



THE VOICE OF NATURE 



Some reflections on the young life of early summer 

 By BENJAMIN HANLEY 



Illustrated with photograptis by the Author 



SO far as young bird life is concerned 

 June is the richest month of the 

 }-ear. In the hedges flocks of 

 young starlings multiply, chattering and 

 screaming, day by day ; families of 

 warblers, newly fledged, creej) through 

 the tangled thickets ; young tits go 

 piping through the woods in single file ; 

 and the early j)lovers gather into flocks. 

 I5ut the nesting season does not end 

 with June, for many partridges have, 

 as yet, scarcely finished laying their clutch 

 of olive-tinted eggs ; the yellow-hammer, 

 whose jingling trill is heard all day by the 

 wayside.and the corn bunting, who imitates 



his cousin's song, but is never able to give 

 it the finishing note, have, as yet, hardly 

 thought about nest building. By the 

 breeding grounds of the lapwings, too, 

 sliould any robber gulls put in an appear- 

 ance, the wild yet musical " willow-weet- 

 pee-wit " of the protesting plovers tells one 

 that there are still eggs and brooding 

 females to be protected ; and to judge by 

 their calling, the land-rails have barely 

 got used to each other's company, and 

 the nest is not yet made. So that even 

 in June, rich as it is in young bird life, 

 one may find numerous eggs. 



Playing around the mouths of tlieir 



