THE YOUNG NATURA.LIST. 



221 



The long pliant branches of the 

 heather were closely interwoven with 

 the blossoming tops uppermost, and 

 thus a soft elastic cushion a foot or 

 two in thickness was easily formed. 

 In Northern rural districts at the 

 present time, when litter is scarce the 

 same provision is made for stall-fed 

 cattle and horses, and answers admir- 

 ably. 



The corollas of all the heaths are 

 curiously persistent, withering and 

 remaining on the stem well through 

 the winter. When gathered E. 

 Cinerea rapidly changes from its rosy 

 pink to a bluish purple, but Calluna 

 retains its colour well, and they form 

 excellent everlasting flowers for winter 

 bouquets. The heaths are troublesome 

 plants to prepare for the herbarium, 

 as however carefully they are dried, in 

 a few months the leaves fall off leaving 

 only the naked wiry stems, those of 

 the current year's growth being the 

 most permanent. As the heaths are 

 all evergreens, the leaves remain for 

 several years upon the stem before 

 they are periodically shed, and it 

 would seem that when gathered the 

 vital process went on sufficiently long 

 to throw off the leaves. In deciduous 

 leaved trees, as the oak, a different 

 result is seen, if a branch is broken in 

 Summer when in full foliage the leaves 

 will be found remaining persistent 

 through the winter, whilst the tree is 

 bare and leafless ; immersing the stems, 



not the flowers, for a few seconds in 

 boiling water will prevent the leaves 

 falling off. An abnormal state of the 

 flower of E. Tetralix is sometimes met 

 with, in which the highly specialised 

 tubular corolla composed of five united 

 petals, as shown by the five lobes at 

 the apex, is resolved into five separate 

 petals forming a star-shaped corolla, 

 double flowers also occur occasionally. 

 In sheltered situations as in woods and 

 corries heather grows to a great length, 

 forming dense tangled inextricable 

 masses. In open moors it rarely 

 exceeds two or three feet, if left undis- 

 turbed for long periods, it dies out, and 

 takes a considerable time to be replaced, 

 when burnt at this stage it is practically 

 extirpated, but if regularly burnt at 

 short intervals, it forms a smooth level 

 carpet. Deer and sheep are then very 

 fond of the young juicy tops, and they 

 are essential to the existence of grouse. 

 It is therefore the duty of shepherds 

 or gamekeepers who have charge of 

 moors to see that a portion of the 

 heather is annually burnt in Spring. 

 The fiery torrent has to be kept within 

 proper bounds by a number of gillies 

 armed with long brooms, it is an 

 an exciting and interesting sight for a 

 stranger to see every mountain side 

 ablaze, as if, with answering beacons 

 summoning a country's defenders, 

 Scott compares the impetuous course 

 of the young Norman with the 

 "fiery cross'' to the sweeping blast 



