126 BEACH GRASS 



pound leaves — have no need for the fine branch- 

 lets, and sprays such as the elm and birch need 

 for the support of their little leaves. The mid- 

 rib of the compound leaf is itself the branchlet, 

 and, as this falls with the leaf at the beginning 

 of winter, only the coarse, stubby branches are 

 left. These trees, therefore, carry comparatively 

 little ice and the damage among them was 

 slight. 



The suggestion of Christmas trees, hung about 

 with sparkling brilliants, is considerably increased 

 in ice-storms like this by the presence of spots of 

 red or blue or green light. I have seen these 

 spots on various occasions glowing as clear as the 

 lights of electric bulbs. They are due to the 

 splitting up of the white rays of light in prism 

 shaped icicles. By gradually moving one's po- 

 sition, the light is made to change from red to 

 orange, to green, blue and violet, while the re- 

 verse order of the spectrum can be brought out 

 by slowly returning to the first position. I have 

 seen such an icicle hanging from the branch of a 

 tree, that changed in color as the branch swayed 

 back and forth in the breeze. 



