92 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES. 



shiny — in fact, they are not constituted as sunlight 

 flashers. 



This makes a rast difference with the appearance 

 of a tree, supposing, of course, we take into consid- 

 eration its effect under conditions of light and shade. 

 I could identify our gray birch at a great distance 

 in the focus of strong sunlight gathered from a 

 cloud-rent; such a thing would hardly be possible 

 with any other tree. The European birch under 

 similar conditions would appear at best commonplace, 

 if, indeed, it was recognizable at all. Then, also, in 

 early October, when our own birch is transformed 

 into pale, shining gold, there is hardly a suggestion 

 of gold in its European relative. I have seen both 

 trees together under the same climatic conditions, and 

 the change of color in the foreign tree was not com- 

 parable with that of its American relative. My draw- 

 ing is sufficient for the identification of this particular 

 European birch. 



The different kinds of European birch {Betula 

 alba) are; var. pubescens, leaf covered with white 

 hairs; var. pendula, weeping; var. laciniata, cut- 

 leaved ; var. fast/igiata, pyramidal ; and var. atro- 

 purpurea, purple-leaved. These are all to be met 

 with in parks and private grounds, but as yet I 

 think none of them have escaped from cultiva- 

 tion. 



