Keegan: The Chemistry of the Lakeland Trees. 351 
rich in lime (and manganese in the best barks), but poor in 
potass and silica. The leaves, are extremely interesting, being 
rich in tannin (even in the bud), carotin, wax, nitrogenous 
matters, and silica, but rather poor in fat, fibre, and ash’: the 
actual amount of starch on analysis seems moderate, but the 
storing capacity of the tree for this’ substance is, in certain 
circumstances, altogether extraordinary. In this connection a 
casual mention might be made of the Beech, but as this tree is a 
decisive alien in Lakeland, and a by no means contented or pros- 
perous one either, although decidedly vigorous locally, it must 
suffice to observe that it is much richer in oil and much poorer in 
tannin than the Oak, its grey, smooth -DaEk 1 es mailed with silica 
and charged with lime, and tl its foliage 
is attended with physiological consequences altogether unique. 
Hazel. Corylus avellana. This true native is one of our 
commonest truly wild trees, or rather shrubs or bushes, flourish- 
ing in a characteristic tufted or ‘concentrated’ manner on banks, 
edging the wood-side; or in damp hollows overhanging some 
murmuring beck. The chemical analysis recalls somewhat that 
of the Alder, but the constituents are not developed in anything 
like the same strength. _The bark contains a considerable quantity 
of a tannin like that in other Amentacez, and is associated with 
much phlobaphene and ‘humus’ matter. The very tough and 
close-grained wood is richly charged with starch, phloroglucin, and 
coniferin, together with a small amount of a tannin which is not 
the same as that in the bark. The leaves are rich in albumenoids, 
and have a full share of carbohydrates, also inosite, etc., but are 
rather poor in fibre and ash (which contains much silica, especially 
in the autumn); rutin and tannin amount to about 5 ad cent., 
and the easy resolution of the latfer into high, nut-brow a anby- 
drides (recalling the case of the Alder) forbids any brilliancy of 
autumnal livery on the part of the foliage. The tremendous activity 
of the chlorophyllian protoplasm of this bush is manifested notonly 
by the richness of the wood in starch at all seasons, but by the 
very high, 67, percentage of oil contained in the nut, wherein it 
is intimately associated with a large quantity of albumenoids 
existing in three different states ; sugars and a volatile aromatic 
substance also occur in this favourite comestible ; the oil 1s 
pale yellow, drying, and consists mostly of olein, with a little 
palmitin, and is coloured greenish by nitric acid. 
Sycamore. Acer pseudo-platanus. This tree is pronounced 
to be an alien in our district, and again it is said to be ‘ doubt- 
fully a true native,’ but at all events it is here both common and 
luxuriantly developed in plantations and about farmhouses up 
to 1,500 feet. As Wordsworth says, ‘it has long been the 
Noyember 1899. 
