94 Gilpin's forest scbneey. 



breath, of air. When agitated, it is well adapted 

 to characterize a storm, or to perform any office 

 in landscape which is expected from the "Weeping 

 Willow. 



The stem of the Birch is generally marked with 

 brown, yellow, and silvery touches, which are 

 peculiarly picturesque, as they are characteristic 

 objects of imitation for the pencil, and as they 

 contrast agreeably with the dark-green hue of the 

 foliage. But only the stem and larger branches 

 have this varied colouring ; the spray is of a deep 

 brown. As the Birch grows old, its bark becomes 

 rough and fui-rowed. It loses all its varied tints, 

 and assumes a uniform, ferruginous hue. 



The bark of this tree has the property (perhaps 

 peculiar to itself) of being more firm and durable 

 than the wood it invests. Of this the peasants 

 of Sweden, Lapland, and other northern countries 

 (where the Birch is abundant), take advantage ; 

 and shaping it hke tiles, cover their houses with 

 it. How very durable it is, we have a remarkable 

 instance in Maupertuis's travels. When that phi- 

 losopher traversed Lapland to measure a degree 

 of latitude, he was obliged to pass through vast 



