28o MY COUNTRY WANDERINGS 



during February, and should be closely watched 

 and its progress noted. The whole plant is green, 

 the flower being lighter than the foliage. The 

 flower is well worth examination, for, although 

 belonging to the lowest order of flowering plants, 

 it will at first appear to the young botanist as a 

 kind of floral puzzle. There are five sepals upon 

 the calyx, and from eight to ten petals. These 

 latter are small, tubular, two-lipped, clawed, and 

 contain poisonous honey. The lower leaves are 

 large and on long stalks; all the leaves are deeply 

 serrated, that is, the margins are cut into saw- 

 like teeth. 



Where the Nut Hazel grows there search should 

 now be made for the first appearance of the pis- 

 tillate (or female) flowers. You all know the 

 staminate flowers (called catkins or lambs' tails), 

 but few of you are probably acquainted with the 

 flowers from which the fruit eventually forms. 

 The pistillate flowers are a rich carmine red in 

 colour and very small. They are like a little tuft, 

 and if a branch is pulled down and examined 

 success should come your way. Now, how do 

 you think the Hazel becomes fertilised ? 



I am going to let one of my young correspon- 

 dents answer the question. Here is an excellent 

 account sent in to me by William Jackson, of 

 Newland, Hull: — 



