MANUAL OF NATURE STUDY. 43 



unknown. "The aspen, birch, fir, oak and beech 

 appear to be the steps in the struggle for the sur- 

 vival of the fittest among the forest trees of Den- 

 mark." See Wallace's Darwinism, page 22. 



When the spring time comes and the 

 buds begin to swell, the teacher should make a 

 collection of sprays from the various kinds of trees 

 studied in the preceding autumn. Attention hav- 

 ing already been called in the second year work to 

 the preparation of buds for the winter, a short 

 review of that work will be a suitable introduction 

 to the study of buds at bursting time. To begin, 

 pass several buds of different kinds to each pupil 

 and require the children to carefully remove the 

 outer brown scale in each case. This may be done 

 with a needle or common brass pin. 



Notice that all the buds are more or less sticky, 

 but the horse chestnut is especially so; that others 

 are fuzzy, hairy and scaly, and that all these dif- 

 ferent characteristics are especially adapted for the 

 protection of the delicate green parts of the bud 

 within. 



Put fresh twigs of the different trees studied 

 in a jar of v/ater and watch the unfolding of the 

 buds. See which unfolds first, the terminal bud or 

 lateral buds. Which is the larger, the lateral or 

 terminal bud of each of the several trees studied ? 



