362 



The Museum Gazette 



Beech trees lose their leaves first on the topmost twigs, 

 whilst birches begin at the bottom and keep a tuft of green 

 at the top to the last. Poplars go with the birches. Not 

 only do the topmost leaves fall last ; but they keep green after 

 all the rest are yellow. These conditions may be observed 

 on a large scale along some of the continental railway sides. 

 Some of these are planted for miles together with rows of 

 poplars. In October most of these are of golden yellow, all 

 except the very top. 



Along the railway sides in the Rhone valley, for instance, 

 very interesting illustrations of individuality may now be 

 observed in the poplars. Of two trees, standing side by 

 side one will be yellow whilst its brother is still green. In 

 some instances a succession of twenty in double row may now 

 have taken on autumn tints when the next hundred are still 

 in those of summer. It might be suspected, when this is seen, 

 that it is due to some difference in soil or exposure. That, 

 however, is not likely. The explanation more probably is 

 that the young trees supplied by the nurseryman were from 

 different plots and have had peculiarities impressed on their 

 organisation almost from their birth. They may possibly 

 have been sown rather later in the year, or be from different 

 parentage. , 



Birds are epicures, or perhaps even gourmets. They will 

 clear the berries off one holly and leave those of another 

 by its side untouched. This implies that the fruit has a 

 different flavour, or perhaps a different degree of softness, and 

 this again proves that trees of the same species and grown 

 under similar conditions are yet not exactly alike. Even 

 when the tree is one that they like, birds will reject and 

 throw down more berries than they care to eat. At present 

 time some of our hollies are quite stripped, others have not 

 lost a berry, whilst under many the path is scarlet with 

 berries which have been plucked and then rejected. 



