RAIN-BRIGHTENED PLANTS 109 



began, every plant and tree has thrown out new 

 and vivid colouring. The Debdar's last new leaves 

 hang like delicate green-yellow gloves, against a 

 darker background. The Teak tree has blossomed 

 into great masses of tiny white flowers, and 

 resembles the elder flower at home, except that the 

 teak is a much larger and taller tree. The Fiji 

 Nettle has reddened all its leaves to a most 

 brilliant crimson. That hedge of them has grown 

 too high though, and must be cut down to 5 feet. 

 Now the young fronds of the palm Litania on 

 the lawn are shooting up with ruddy rhubarb- 

 like stalks. It is to be hoped the boring beetle, 

 with a pointed stick for a head, will not come by, 

 and pay his unwelcome attentions to this palm, 

 as he has done to the two at the end of the 

 lawn. He always bores straight into the very 

 youngest and juiciest frond, whereby it rots, and 

 so destroys the plant. The Burra Sahib sets great 

 store by this palm, and so far it hasn't been 

 attacked. As for the Crotons those magnificent 

 plants, desired by all who had gardens thirty years 

 ago ! they have now become so common that no 

 one cares about them, though they are just as 



