Handbook of Teees of the Xoetheen States and Canada. 241 



The Dotted Thorn is one of the most abun- 

 dant and widely distributed of the Thorns, 

 their picturesque flattened tops dotting the dry 

 slopes and pasture-lands of almost every land- 

 scape of the northern Atlantic states. The 

 tree is sometimes 2.5 or 30 ft. in height, usually 

 with rigid horizontal branches which form a 

 peculiarly flat top, and short ridged trunk 12-18 

 in. in diameter. The branches and trunk usu- 

 ally bristle with an armament of rigid sharp 

 thorns to a remarkable degree, and on account 

 of these the sagacious shrike or butcher-bird, 

 which abounds in our northern fields, almost 

 invariably chooses a tree of this kind in which 

 to build its nest. Here effectually barricaded 

 against cats and children it nests and rears its 

 young in perfect safety, and upon the thorns 

 it finds places to impale its prey. The Dotted 

 Thorn is a handsome tree when in flower in 

 early summer, or when bearing its large red or 

 yellow fruit in autumn, but its foliage often 

 loses its freshness early on account of attacks 

 of blight or insects. 



The wood is hard, heavy and close-grained 

 and suitable for tool handles, etc. A cubic foot 

 when absolutely dry weighs 47.87 Ibs.i 



Leaves obovate, 2-3 in. long, cuneate and entire 

 at base, rounded or pointed at apex, irregularly 

 and often doubly serrate, incisely lobed on vigor- 

 ous shoots, pubescent at first and at maturity firm 

 glabrous gray-green with veins impressed above, 

 paler and often pubescent beneath. Flowers in 

 May, 1/2-% in. broad in many-flowered compound 

 corymbs ; calyx with narrow acute lobes pubescent 

 inside : stamens 20 with rose-colored or yellow 

 anthers : styles .5 white-hairy at base. Fruit ripe 

 in October." mostly subglobose, i/^-l in. long, dull 

 red (sometimes yellow) white-dotted, with dryish 

 flesh and 5 nutlets ridged on the back. 



1. A. W., Ill, 58. 



