I 



The Snowdrop 



IF we examine our garden borders a 

 little after Christmas, we are gene- 

 rally pretty sure of discovering the 

 first signal of returning spring in 

 the green points of the Snowdrop clus- 

 ters just peeping through the ground. 

 Looking rather more closely, we find 

 that each plant has put forth two leaves, 

 which cohere so as to form at the sum- 

 mit a short conical beak, tipped with 

 a blunt, protective, callous point. This 

 green beak is all that is visible at this 

 early stage of growth, and is admirably 

 fitted by its wedge-like character for thrust- 

 ing through the soil. The flower lies 

 at present deep sunk between the leaves, 

 and undeveloped, waiting till they have 

 cleared its way to light and air. Then 

 the leaves separate and expand, the flower 

 rapidly outgrows them, and before they 

 have attained full size it has withered. 



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