THE DEATH OF CORTES." 
47 
The buds that contain the flowers are always at the apex of 
the branch ; they generally contain only four leaves. The 
young flower cluster consists of an upright stalk thickly covered 
with pinky brown “wool” on which round green buds are 
irregularly scattered. These are more crowded towards the 
apex. 
Not only does each bud contain a stem, many leaves, and, 
possibly, a cluster of flowers, but sharp eyes may discover a 
tiny swelling at the base of each tender leafstalk, and if you 
watch it you will discover that provident Nature, even before 
the buds of 1893 fully opened, has already formed baby buds 
for 1894. 
Last May prizes were offered by the Northern Heights 
Branch of the Selborne Society for a description of an oak, 
beech or horse chestnut tree. The first prize was gained by 
Miss Dorothy Gordon, niece of Frank Buckland — subject, the 
•oak. Most of the competitors came either from the Girls’ High 
School, Swansea, or from the Technical School for Boys, Wal- 
sall, and among these it was curious that nearly all the girls 
chose the horse chestnut and all the boys the oak. -No one chose 
the beech. The teachers of both schools are to be congratulated 
■ on the warm interest their pupils showed in the subject, 
Bessy Holland. 
“THE DEATH OF CORTES.” 
(Under this somewhat misleading title the Belize Angelus gives an account 
of an old horse, usually known as “Tes,” belonging to the Mission at Corozal, 
British Honduras. The Angehis is not likely to come into the hands of many of 
our readers, and we think they will read the account with interest. — E d. N.N.) 
EW names have been oftener called in the grounds of 
Corozal than that of this faithful horse. When quite 
young, some seventeen years ago, he had the place to 
himself, the school children being familiar with him 
and sharing with him their bread and butter. They would pull 
his chin and tail — run under him for a ball or a plaything — and 
he seldom made any show of annoyance or fear, except stones 
or other missiles were thrown at him, and then some one in- 
variably paid for the offence, A little boy, on a visit to Corozal, 
was warned on no account to molest the horse in this way, but 
we found out that the warning was too late, for Cortes took him 
by the arm the next time he appeared and scared him well. It 
was unwillingly owned by the boy that he had indeed pelted 
him. Tes took no further notice of the matter. 
'When the school-bell rang he generally put his head in at 
the doorway and slept there an hour to the tune of A B C, or 
to the humdrum multiplication table, so that once to the great 
