218 



THAT'S IT ; 



great length of the petioles, 

 in proportion to the size and 

 weight of the leaves to which 

 they are attached. Most trees, 

 when acted upon by the wind, 

 are only partially agitated : one 

 side is at rest, the other in mo- 

 tion. But the poplar waves in 

 one simple sweep from the top to 

 the bottom, like an ostrich fea- 

 ther on a lady's head. All the 

 branches coincide with the mo- 

 tion, and the least breeze makes 

 an impression upon it, when 

 other trees are at rest. 



The general aspect of the tribe 

 of poplars is that of tall, straight, 

 and light trees, the branches 

 generally rising perpendicularly, 

 instead of spreading out horizon- 

 tally. 



The wood of the poplar, on 

 account of its lightness, is em- 

 ployed for butcher's trays, packing 

 cases, the large folding doors of 

 barns, &c. A great many toys 

 are also made of it ; as are the 

 boards and rollers around which 

 pieces of silk are wrapped. 

 When well-seasoned, the wood 

 of the tuhite poplar makes an 

 excellent flooring. 



The remarkable caterpillar of 

 the kitten moth, feeds upon the 

 neck-lace poplar, both in America 

 and Europe. The caterpillar, 5, 

 which is green and brown, when 

 disturbed, shoots out of the end 

 of its forked-tail, 6, two soft, 

 orange-coloured threads. When 

 grown considerably it sheds its 

 skin, and turns green, striped 

 with white. After a few days it 

 forms a chrysalis, 7, of chips of 

 the wood which it attaches to 

 the tree. And out of this case, 



the moth, 8, escapes by an open- 

 ing at one end. The larva of 



a great many moths live on the 

 leaves of poplars ; some also live 

 upon the wood. The larvae of 



596. 



several beetles also feed upon the 

 leaves ; and numerous fungi will 

 be found to make a habitation 

 upon their trunks. 



The elm tree, 1, is supposed to 

 derive its name from the Saxon 

 ulm, or elm. Elms are long-lived 

 trees, with hard wood ; rugged, 

 and sometimes woolly bark ; 

 zig-zag, and somewhat slender 

 branches. The leaves, 2, are al- 

 ternate, and in general serrated 

 and harsh. The flowers are 

 earlier than the leaves, tufted, 

 copious, and dark red. 



