CROWFOOT FAMILY 33 
endure an April snowstorm, a peril that they 
bravely withstand. Even fire does not subdue 
them, for they are among the few flowers which 
appear in spring in woods that have been burned 
over. One may sometimes see railroad embank- 
ments on which the singed and blackened turf is 
lighted up in early spring with clusters of these 
blossoms. In such cases one can but wonder how 
the buds have managed to escape destruction, 
when even the last year’s leaves have been seared 
by fire. It is true, however, that these last year’s 
leaves have served their purpose, so that their 
destruction matters little to the plant. The new 
leaves, snugly folded and densely covered with 
whitish hairs, just beginning to push up, look like 
flower buds as they are massed together at the 
bases of the blossom stems. .This velvety cover- 
ing is an excellent protection in preventing the 
drying out of the young leaves in winter, and it is 
evident that it admirably serves this purpose. 
As if to show that the procession which it leads 
is not to be monotonous in its color tones, the 
Hepatica reveals a charming variation of tints. 
Many of the blossoms are pure white; others have 
a pinkish lilac hue; and others, especially those 
exposed to direct sunshine, exhibit lovely tones of 
lavender and mauve. 
The habitat of the Liverwort seems largely de- 
termined by the supply of water. One may fre- 
3 
