THE tOtJNG NATUEALIST 



to cover the internal walls of the 

 settlers' houses. Ornithologists are 

 aware that the great abundance o 

 bird life in the short summers of high 

 Northern latitudes is largely dependent 

 on the prevalence of birch forests, 

 which affords them shelter and susten- 

 ance. One of the best and cheeriest 

 of our small native songsters, the Sis- 

 kin, is exceedingly partial to birch 

 woods, the seeds furnishing its favourite 

 food. 



In geographical distribution, birches 

 occur in all north temperate regions, 

 extending to the extreme arctic limit 

 of arboreal vegetation. Stunted speci- 

 mens were found amongst the scanty 

 flora of the North Cape, lat. 71, and 

 long after the oak, pine, &c., had dis- 

 appeared. In those sterile regions, the 

 birch is of the first importance to the 

 rude, yet hardy natives. Its bark is 

 used for tanning, ropes and ingeniously 

 woven baskets and shoes are made 

 from the fibrous portions. Sheets of 

 it are used to cover their dwellings^ 

 and to protect their bodies, like legg^ 

 ings and aprons ; the resinous parts 

 are burnt for light, and the inner bark 

 was used for writing on before paper 

 and printing became so common. An 

 aromatic oil is also distilled from the 

 bark, which is used for dressing the 

 Eussia leather, so valuable for book- 

 binding, as its odour is supposed to 

 avert the ravages of insects. The 

 Boreal character of the birch is exem- 



plified in the common name, which is 

 from the Anglo-Saxon Birce, Scottish 

 hirJc ; with similiar synonyms in all the 

 northern languages. This shows how 

 the hardy Norsemen imprinted their 

 individuahty on the country, as it is 

 one of the few trees, like the oak and 

 beech, with which they were familar 

 and whose names were part of their 

 every-day speech, as it remains unto 

 this day. It also appears in the Sans- 

 scrit Bhurga, a tree to write on; as 

 the' Northern Asiatics found it the 

 only tree, south of the Himalayas, that 

 they were able to name. 



The origin of the name clearly 

 points to the varied uses of the bark, 

 the tree that produces bark — the bark 

 tree ; and from this we have the term 

 bark and barge — a vessel. The bot- 

 anic name Betula is Pliny's Latin name 

 for the birch tree, the etymology of 

 which is doubtful, and alba, of course, 

 refers to the white colour of the outer 

 bark. 



The birch is the emblem of meek- 

 ness and gracefulness, it has always 

 been a favourite tree with the poets. 

 Burns being especially fond of it, one 

 of his best known lyrics was written 

 in its praise, and nothing could 

 more graphically describe its natural 

 habitat : — 



" The braes ascend like lofty wa's, 

 The foaming stream deep-roaring fa's, 

 O'erhung wi' fragrant spreading shaws, 

 The birks of Aberfeldy . 



