Man with feather hat and wide collar.

Man with Feather Hat

Man with feather hat and wide collar.

Boy with a feather in his cap holding a stick.

Peasant boy

Boy with a feather in his cap holding a stick.

An ancient crinoid, sea lilies are flowerlike, with branching arms surrounding the central mouth.

Sea Lily

An ancient crinoid, sea lilies are flowerlike, with branching arms surrounding the central mouth.

An ancient crinoid, stone lilies are flowerlike, with branching arms surrounding the central mouth.

Stone Lily

An ancient crinoid, stone lilies are flowerlike, with branching arms surrounding the central mouth.

Crinoids are Echinoderms. They are distinguished by the fact that they are fixed, during the whole or a portion of the life of the animal, to submarine objects by means of a jointed flexible stalk or column.

Crinoid

Crinoids are Echinoderms. They are distinguished by the fact that they are fixed, during the whole or…

Crinoids are Echinoderms. They are distinguished by the fact that they are fixed, during the whole or a portion of the life of the animal, to submarine objects by means of a jointed flexible stalk or column.

Crinoid

Crinoids are Echinoderms. They are distinguished by the fact that they are fixed, during the whole or…

The only species of the Ptilocerque genus. "Has a very long tail, the first half naked, and the rest furnised with hairs like the barbs of a feather." —Goodrich, 1885

Ptilocerque Lowii

The only species of the Ptilocerque genus. "Has a very long tail, the first half naked, and the rest…

Head of an eagle owl. It has large eyes for seeing at night, and a hooked beak for snaring its prey.

Head of an Eagle Owl

Head of an eagle owl. It has large eyes for seeing at night, and a hooked beak for snaring its prey.

Native to South America, the males of this species are known for their pair of prominent tail feathers.

Fork-Tailed Psalurus

Native to South America, the males of this species are known for their pair of prominent tail feathers.

Nest of the common European swallow, which can be found in old wells and mines, under the roofs of barns and sheds, in belfries, and sometimes in the fork of a dead tree.

Nest of the Common European Swallow

Nest of the common European swallow, which can be found in old wells and mines, under the roofs of barns…

Widely distributed over Africa, Asia, and Europe, the hoopoe has a distinctive crest of feathers on its head.

Hoopoe

Widely distributed over Africa, Asia, and Europe, the hoopoe has a distinctive crest of feathers on…

Feeding primarily on fruits, the umbrella-bird has two dstinctive crests of feathers, one rising from the back of its head and the other hanging off of its neck.

Umbrellabird

Feeding primarily on fruits, the umbrella-bird has two dstinctive crests of feathers, one rising from…

Book with old-fashioned ink and pen.

book and ink

Book with old-fashioned ink and pen.

Native to Sumatra and India, the argus pheasant can measure up to five feet in length.

Argus Pheasant

Native to Sumatra and India, the argus pheasant can measure up to five feet in length.

The males of the peacock species are known for their magnificent plumage. For this reason they have been domesticated in Europe and Asia.

Peacock

The males of the peacock species are known for their magnificent plumage. For this reason they have…

The males of the peacock species are known for their magnificent plumage. For this reason they have been domesticated in Europe and Asia.

Peacock

The males of the peacock species are known for their magnificent plumage. For this reason they have…

"These animals, called <em>Umbrella-Shells</em>, are furnished with a shell, which, however, is often concealed by the mantle; the foot is usually large, and the feather-like gill hidden between a fold of the mantle and the foot. The shell is sometimes limpet-shaped. The <em>Umbrella Mediterranea</em> and the <em>U. Indica</em> are the only known species." &mdash; Goodrich, 1859

Mediterranean umbrella-shell

"These animals, called Umbrella-Shells, are furnished with a shell, which, however, is often…

"Feather from Argus Pheasant. (a,d, main stem; d, calamus; a, rachis; c,c,c, vanes cut away on right side in order not to interfere with view of b, the aftershaft, the whole of the left vane of which is like-wise cut away."-Whitney, 1902

Pheasant Feather

"Feather from Argus Pheasant. (a,d, main stem; d, calamus; a, rachis; c,c,c, vanes cut away on right…

"The body is flattened and covered with several cacareous plates; the lower, or entral surface, bears the mouth and anus; and the ten slender rays are often branched to such an extent as to appear very numerous." &mdash; Goodrich, 1859

Rosy feather-star

"The body is flattened and covered with several cacareous plates; the lower, or entral surface, bears…

"Goose is the name of a well-known family of natatorial birds. The domestic goose is believed to have descended form the greylag goose. It is valued for the table and on account of its quills and fine soft feather. The body is large and heavy, the neck long, the head small, and the bill conical, the wings long and powerful, the feet somewhat long, with small toes. In summer the wild goose inhabits the polar regions, migrating south in flocks on the approach of winter. The nest which is of coarse grass, is generally situated in marshy places."&mdash;(Charles Leonard-Stuart, 1911)

Wild Goose

"Goose is the name of a well-known family of natatorial birds. The domestic goose is believed to have…

"The main stem of the polypidom of these animals is fleshy, but is furnished with an internal bony axis, which, however, does not reach to either exlamellae, which stand out upon each side of stalk, giving the whole polypidom, in some cases, the appearance of a large quill-feather. Of this the Sea-Pen, <I>Pennatula grisea</em>, is a familiar example. There are, however, many other forms." &mdash; Goodrich, 1859

Sea-pen

"The main stem of the polypidom of these animals is fleshy, but is furnished with an internal bony axis,…

Quills, a crown, olive branches, and books

Quill doodad

Quills, a crown, olive branches, and books

"Rice is a well known genus of grasses, having panicles of one-flowered spike-lets, with two very small pointed glumes, the florets compressed, the pale&aelig; strongly nerved, awned or awnless, six stamens, one germen, and two feather stigmas. The only important species is the common rice, one of the most useful and extensively cultivated of all grains, supplying the principal food of nearly one-third of the human race. It seems to be originally a native of the East Indies, but is now cultivated in all quarters of the globe. Rice requires a moist soil, sometimes flooded. "&mdash;(Charles Leonard-Stuart, 1911)

Water Rice

"Rice is a well known genus of grasses, having panicles of one-flowered spike-lets, with two very small…

Scene from the story, "Birds of a Feather."

Birds

Scene from the story, "Birds of a Feather."

A Japanese feather duster holder.

Feather Duster

A Japanese feather duster holder.

One of the growths, generally formed each of a central quill and a vane on each side of it, which make up the covering of a bird.

Feather

One of the growths, generally formed each of a central quill and a vane on each side of it, which make…

A sea star whose arms are soft and hairy, like a feather.

Rosy Feather Sea Star

A sea star whose arms are soft and hairy, like a feather.

"When a new bird is seen, the observer should write an accurate description of it in his notebook, giving the length from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail; the color of the crown and sides of the head, back, wings, tail, breast, and belly; length, shape, and color of the bill; length, position and arrangement of the tail feathers; and the method of feeding and manner of flight as well as its characteristic song." &mdash; Davison, 1906

Labeled bird

"When a new bird is seen, the observer should write an accurate description of it in his notebook, giving…

"Also known as the cone, the palm leaf, the river loop, the crown jewel, the seal, the almond, the feather, the boquet, and the flame. There is a vast difference of opinion as to the origin and meaning of this motif. Some authorities claim it was intended for the fir cone, which served as an emblem of immortality and was revered by the ancients; some say it was intended for the palm leaf, which has been handed down by the Greeks as a symbol of victory; others say it was intended to represent a loop which the river Indus makes on a vast plain in upper Cashmere as seen from the Mosque. By some it is said to represent the crown jewels or chief ornament in the old Iranian crown, which is a composite jewel of pear shape. Tradition tells us that the signing of documents in such a manner was a custom well known in the East. This design has also been called the almond, the feather, the bouquet, and the flame on account of its fancied resemblance to these objects. We have selected the name "pear" because the image it conveys is more clearly recognized by the western mind. It is that which its shape most suggests. The Pear design is common in many kinds of rugs, especially in those of Persia and Kurdistan, but it varies greatly in varieties of form and size. The large size is usually employed in the Caucasus and Southern Persia, while the small size is used more frequently in Central and Western Persia. In the Saraband, Shiraz, Herat, Khorasan, and Senna, it frequently covers the whole field. In the two former alternate rows usually have the stems of the pears turned in opposite directions, while in the three latter the stems are usually turned in the same direction."

Pear Design

"Also known as the cone, the palm leaf, the river loop, the crown jewel, the seal, the almond, the feather,…

"Also known as the cone, the palm leaf, the river loop, the crown jewel, the seal, the almond, the feather, the boquet, and the flame. There is a vast difference of opinion as to the origin and meaning of this motif. Some authorities claim it was intended for the fir cone, which served as an emblem of immortality and was revered by the ancients; some say it was intended for the palm leaf, which has been handed down by the Greeks as a symbol of victory; others say it was intended to represent a loop which the river Indus makes on a vast plain in upper Cashmere as seen from the Mosque. By some it is said to represent the crown jewels or chief ornament in the old Iranian crown, which is a composite jewel of pear shape. Tradition tells us that the signing of documents in such a manner was a custom well known in the East. This design has also been called the almond, the feather, the bouquet, and the flame on account of its fancied resemblance to these objects. We have selected the name "pear" because the image it conveys is more clearly recognized by the western mind. It is that which its shape most suggests. The Pear design is common in many kinds of rugs, especially in those of Persia and Kurdistan, but it varies greatly in varieties of form and size. The large size is usually employed in the Caucasus and Southern Persia, while the small size is used more frequently in Central and Western Persia. In the Saraband, Shiraz, Herat, Khorasan, and Senna, it frequently covers the whole field. In the two former alternate rows usually have the stems of the pears turned in opposite directions, while in the three latter the stems are usually turned in the same direction."

Pear Design

"Also known as the cone, the palm leaf, the river loop, the crown jewel, the seal, the almond, the feather,…

"Also known as the cone, the palm leaf, the river loop, the crown jewel, the seal, the almond, the feather, the boquet, and the flame. There is a vast difference of opinion as to the origin and meaning of this motif. Some authorities claim it was intended for the fir cone, which served as an emblem of immortality and was revered by the ancients; some say it was intended for the palm leaf, which has been handed down by the Greeks as a symbol of victory; others say it was intended to represent a loop which the river Indus makes on a vast plain in upper Cashmere as seen from the Mosque. By some it is said to represent the crown jewels or chief ornament in the old Iranian crown, which is a composite jewel of pear shape. Tradition tells us that the signing of documents in such a manner was a custom well known in the East. This design has also been called the almond, the feather, the bouquet, and the flame on account of its fancied resemblance to these objects. We have selected the name "pear" because the image it conveys is more clearly recognized by the western mind. It is that which its shape most suggests. The Pear design is common in many kinds of rugs, especially in those of Persia and Kurdistan, but it varies greatly in varieties of form and size. The large size is usually employed in the Caucasus and Southern Persia, while the small size is used more frequently in Central and Western Persia. In the Saraband, Shiraz, Herat, Khorasan, and Senna, it frequently covers the whole field. In the two former alternate rows usually have the stems of the pears turned in opposite directions, while in the three latter the stems are usually turned in the same direction."

Pear Design

"Also known as the cone, the palm leaf, the river loop, the crown jewel, the seal, the almond, the feather,…

"Also known as the cone, the palm leaf, the river loop, the crown jewel, the seal, the almond, the feather, the boquet, and the flame. There is a vast difference of opinion as to the origin and meaning of this motif. Some authorities claim it was intended for the fir cone, which served as an emblem of immortality and was revered by the ancients; some say it was intended for the palm leaf, which has been handed down by the Greeks as a symbol of victory; others say it was intended to represent a loop which the river Indus makes on a vast plain in upper Cashmere as seen from the Mosque. By some it is said to represent the crown jewels or chief ornament in the old Iranian crown, which is a composite jewel of pear shape. Tradition tells us that the signing of documents in such a manner was a custom well known in the East. This design has also been called the almond, the feather, the bouquet, and the flame on account of its fancied resemblance to these objects. We have selected the name "pear" because the image it conveys is more clearly recognized by the western mind. It is that which its shape most suggests. The Pear design is common in many kinds of rugs, especially in those of Persia and Kurdistan, but it varies greatly in varieties of form and size. The large size is usually employed in the Caucasus and Southern Persia, while the small size is used more frequently in Central and Western Persia. In the Saraband, Shiraz, Herat, Khorasan, and Senna, it frequently covers the whole field. In the two former alternate rows usually have the stems of the pears turned in opposite directions, while in the three latter the stems are usually turned in the same direction."

Pear Design

"Also known as the cone, the palm leaf, the river loop, the crown jewel, the seal, the almond, the feather,…

"Also known as the cone, the palm leaf, the river loop, the crown jewel, the seal, the almond, the feather, the boquet, and the flame. There is a vast difference of opinion as to the origin and meaning of this motif. Some authorities claim it was intended for the fir cone, which served as an emblem of immortality and was revered by the ancients; some say it was intended for the palm leaf, which has been handed down by the Greeks as a symbol of victory; others say it was intended to represent a loop which the river Indus makes on a vast plain in upper Cashmere as seen from the Mosque. By some it is said to represent the crown jewels or chief ornament in the old Iranian crown, which is a composite jewel of pear shape. Tradition tells us that the signing of documents in such a manner was a custom well known in the East. This design has also been called the almond, the feather, the bouquet, and the flame on account of its fancied resemblance to these objects. We have selected the name "pear" because the image it conveys is more clearly recognized by the western mind. It is that which its shape most suggests. The Pear design is common in many kinds of rugs, especially in those of Persia and Kurdistan, but it varies greatly in varieties of form and size. The large size is usually employed in the Caucasus and Southern Persia, while the small size is used more frequently in Central and Western Persia. In the Saraband, Shiraz, Herat, Khorasan, and Senna, it frequently covers the whole field. In the two former alternate rows usually have the stems of the pears turned in opposite directions, while in the three latter the stems are usually turned in the same direction."

Pear Design

"Also known as the cone, the palm leaf, the river loop, the crown jewel, the seal, the almond, the feather,…

"Also known as the cone, the palm leaf, the river loop, the crown jewel, the seal, the almond, the feather, the boquet, and the flame. There is a vast difference of opinion as to the origin and meaning of this motif. Some authorities claim it was intended for the fir cone, which served as an emblem of immortality and was revered by the ancients; some say it was intended for the palm leaf, which has been handed down by the Greeks as a symbol of victory; others say it was intended to represent a loop which the river Indus makes on a vast plain in upper Cashmere as seen from the Mosque. By some it is said to represent the crown jewels or chief ornament in the old Iranian crown, which is a composite jewel of pear shape. Tradition tells us that the signing of documents in such a manner was a custom well known in the East. This design has also been called the almond, the feather, the bouquet, and the flame on account of its fancied resemblance to these objects. We have selected the name "pear" because the image it conveys is more clearly recognized by the western mind. It is that which its shape most suggests. The Pear design is common in many kinds of rugs, especially in those of Persia and Kurdistan, but it varies greatly in varieties of form and size. The large size is usually employed in the Caucasus and Southern Persia, while the small size is used more frequently in Central and Western Persia. In the Saraband, Shiraz, Herat, Khorasan, and Senna, it frequently covers the whole field. In the two former alternate rows usually have the stems of the pears turned in opposite directions, while in the three latter the stems are usually turned in the same direction."

Pear Design

"Also known as the cone, the palm leaf, the river loop, the crown jewel, the seal, the almond, the feather,…

A floral banner with a feather.

Floral Banner

A floral banner with a feather.

A tuft of feathers.

Plume

A tuft of feathers.

A mammal with a long tail furnished with distichous hairs towards the end, like a pen or feather.

Pentail

A mammal with a long tail furnished with distichous hairs towards the end, like a pen or feather.

"Costume, temp. Charles II." — Encyclopedia Britannica, 1893

Charles II

"Costume, temp. Charles II." — Encyclopedia Britannica, 1893

An old world bird that is distinguished by it's vibrant plumage and downward-curving bill, and bright crest.

Hoopoe

An old world bird that is distinguished by it's vibrant plumage and downward-curving bill, and bright…

This painting was done by Frans Hals. This piece is a great example of the great talent the artist has painting a smile. It is now in the posession of Madame Copes van Hasseldt.

Junker Ramp and his Sweetheart

This painting was done by Frans Hals. This piece is a great example of the great talent the artist has…

Part of stem and leaf of Prince's-Feather (Polygonum orientale) with the united sheathing stipules forming a sheath or ocrea.

Prince's-Feather

Part of stem and leaf of Prince's-Feather (Polygonum orientale) with the united sheathing stipules forming…

"When a feather and a cent are dropped from the same height, the cent reaches jthe ground first. this is not because the cent is heavier, bu because the feather meets with more resistance from the air in proportion to its mass. If this resistance can be removed or equalized, the two bodies will fall equal distances in equal times, or with the same velocity. The resistance may be avoided by dropping them in a glass tube from which the air has been removed. The resistances may be nearly equalized by making the two falling bodies of the same size and shape bu of different weights, as in the preceding experiment." -Avery 1895

Velocities of Falling Bodies

"When a feather and a cent are dropped from the same height, the cent reaches jthe ground first. this…

"Remove the air from a high glass tube by means of an instrument called the air-pump... Then... drop a feather and a cent simultaneously, and they will reach the bottom at precisely the same instant. Let in the air and drop them, and the feather will be several seconds longer than the cent in reaching the bottom." &mdash;Quackenbos 1859

Two Objects Falling in a Vacuum

"Remove the air from a high glass tube by means of an instrument called the air-pump... Then... drop…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered, but with the odd leaflet often dwarfed or broken off; leaflets, twenty-one to forty-one); alternate; edge of the leaflets entire, with one or two coarse, blunt teeth at each side of their base. Outline - of leaflet, long egg-shape or lance-shape. Apex - taper-pointed. Base, squared, or heart-shaped. Leaf/Stem - smooth, round, swollen at base. Leaflet/Stems - smooth and short. Leaf - one and a half to six feet long. Leaflets variable, usually about six inches by two and a quarter, rather smooth and thin. Bark - of the trunk, smooth and brown; the new shoots marked with whitish dots. Flowers - in long bunches at the ends of the branches; greenish, and of very disagreeable odor. June, July. Seeds - flat, at the centre of greenish and sometimes pink-tinged wings, in large, loose clusters. October. Found - common in cultivation, and to some extent naturalized. General Information - A large, showy tree (sixty to seventy feet high) of remarkable vigorous and rapid growth. It is a native of China. A Jesuit missionary sent its seeds in 1751 to England. In 1784 it was brought from Europe to the United States, and started near Philadelphia. Also about 1804 it was brought to Rhode Island from South America. But the source of most of the trees now found abundantly in the region of New York is Flushing, Long Island, where it was introduced in 1820. It has been a great favorite, and would deserve to be so still were it not for the peculiar and disagreeable odor of its flowers. Ailanthus, from a Greek word meaning "tree of heaven." Ailanthus - This spelling of the name should rule because so given by its author, although, etymologically, Ailantus would be correct, the native Amboyna name being "Aylanto."

Genus Ailanthus, Desf.

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered, but with the odd leaflet often dwarfed or broken off; leaflets, twenty-one…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, eleven to twenty-five); alternate; edge entire. Outline - oval or egg-shape. Apex, rounded. Base - rounded. Stem - of leaf, smooth, and covering the leaf-bud of the next year. Leaflets - very smooth, thin, often slightly tipped with the end of the mid-rib. Bark - of trunk, dark, rough, and very deeply ridged. The smaller branches and young trunks are armed with strong, triangular prickles, but these disappear when the parts are three to four inches thick. Flowers - showy and abundant; in long, loose clusters drooping from the sides of the branchlets; white; and very fragrant. May, June. Fruit - a smooth and rather blunt pod, two to three inches long, one and a half inches wide, four- to six-seeded. Seeds, dark brown. September. Found - Native in the Alleghany Mountains from Pennsylvania (Monroe County - Porter) to Georgia; but now very generally naturalized throughout the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. General Information - A tree usually forty to fifty feet high, sometimes ninety feet, and of rapid growth. Its wood is exceedingly hard and strong, and remarkable durable when in contact with the ground. It is used largely for posts, in ship-building, and in turnery, and it is preferred to all other native wood for tree nails. It is one of the most valuable trees of this or of any country. But is cultivation as a timber tree, which at one time was very general, has nearly ceased in the United State on account of the constant damage done by the grub of the Painted Clytus (Clytus pictus). This troublesome borer not only injures the new growth, but also pierces and detaches large branches, leaving the tree ragged and stunted.

Genus Robinia, L. (Locust)

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, eleven to twenty-five); alternate; edge entire. Outline…

Leaves - unequally twice-compound (odd-feathered; leaflets very numerous - seven to thirteen on the different branches of the main leaf-stem; alternate; edge of leaflets entire. Outline - leaflets, egg-shape or oval. Apex - sharply taper-pointed. Base, slightly heart-shaped or rounded. Leaf-stem - in the autumn takes a violet tinge. Leaf - one and one half to three feet long, about one half as wide. Leaflets, one to two and one half inches long, of a dull green. Bark - of trunk, rough and scaly, separating in small and hard crosswise and backward-curled strips. Branchlets stout and not thorny. Flowers - in white spikes along the branches. May-July. Fruit - in large curved pods (Six to ten inches long, by two inches broad), pulpy within, of a reddish-brown color, flattened and hard. Each pod contains several hard, gray seeds one half of an inch or more in diameter. September, October. Found - in Franklin County, Pennsylvania (Porter), Western New York, westward and southward to Middle Tennessee. Not common. General information - A tree sixty to eighty feet high, or more, with a rather small and regular head. The fewness and the abruptness of its large branches give to it in the winder a dead and stumpy look, whence one of its common names. Its bruised and sweetened leaves are used at the South for poisoning flies. Its seeds were formerly used as a substitute for coffee.

Genus Gymnocladus, Lam. (Coffee Tree)

Leaves - unequally twice-compound (odd-feathered; leaflets very numerous - seven to thirteen on the…

Leaves - compound; )even-feathered, leaflets, ten to twenty-two or more, usually about fourteen), sometimes twice compound; alternate; edge of leaflets entire as seen above, but as seen below often remotely and slightly toothed. Outline of leaflet - long oval or long egg-shape. Base - and narrowed. Apex - rounded. Leaf/Stem - and very short. Leaflet/Stem - downy. Leaflets - three fourths to one and a half inches long; about one third as wide. Often several of them (one to three) are partly or wholly divided into smaller leaflets. Surfaces smooth and shining. Bark - of trunk, gray, and much less rough than that of the common Locust (which has a somewhat similar leaf); branchlets brown and often warty. The branches and the trunk, excepting in very young and quite old trees, are usually thickly covered with spines, two to four inches long, which are curved at the base, often two- to three-branches, and of a reddish-brown color. Flowers - small and greenish. Fruit - a long, flat pod (nine to eighteen inches long) reddish; somewhat twisted, and filled between the seeds with a pulp which at first is sweet (whence the name "Honey" Locust) but which soon becomes sour. The seeds are flat, hard, and brown. Found - native in Pennsylvania, westward and southward, but also somewhat naturalized and widely introduced northward.  General Information - A tree sometimes seventy feet high, with wide-spreading and graceful branches, and light and delicate foliage. It is often used as a hedge plant. A variety entirely bare of thorns (var. inermis) is sometimes found; also a variety (var. brachycarpos) with shorter fruit and thorns.

Genus Gleditschia, L. (Honey Locust)

Leaves - compound; )even-feathered, leaflets, ten to twenty-two or more, usually about fourteen), sometimes…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets eleven to thirty-one); alternate; edge of leaflets evenly and sharply toothed. Outline - of leaflet, narrow egg-shape. Apex - long, taper-pointed. Base, rounded or slightly heart-shaped. Leaflet/Stem - lacking. Leaf/Stem - densely velvety-hairy. Leaflet - usually two to four inches long and about one fourth as wide; the under surface whitish and more or less downy. Leaf - one or two feet or more in length. Branchlets - and stalks, especially towards their ends, covered with a very dense velvet-like down, often crimson-tinged. The just is milky and acid. Flowers - greenish-yellow, in upright, pyramid-shaped bunches at the ends of the branches. June. Berries - rounded, somewhat flattened, bright crimson velvety, crowded. Stone - smooth. Juice, acid. September, October. Found - from New Brunswick and the valley of the St. Lawrence through the Northern States, and southward along the Alleghany Mountains to Central Alabama. General Information - A small tree, ten to thirty feet high (or often a shrub), with straggling and evenly spreading branches that are leaved mostly toward their ends, giving an umbrella-like look to the tree. The wood is very soft and brittle; yellow within; the sap-wood white. The young shoots with the pith removed, are used in the spring as "sap quills" in drawing the sap from the sugar maples. The downy and irregular branchlets are suggestive of the horns of a stag, whence the name. An infusion of the berries is sometimes used as a gargle for sore-throat. This species is not poisonous. A variety with deeply gashed leaves (var. laciniata) is reported from Hanover, N. H.

Genus Rhus, L. (Sumach)

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets eleven to thirty-one); alternate; edge of leaflets evenly…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, nine to fifteen); alternate (often alternate in threes); edge of leaflets finely and sharply toothed. Outline - of leaflet, long and narrow egg-shape. Apex, taper-pointed. Base - rounded and slightly pointed. Leaflet/Stem - lacking, or very short. Leaf - eight to twelve inches long. Leaflet - two to three and one half inches long; surfaces smooth. Bark - of the trunk, reddish-brown and rather smooth. Flowers - small and white, in large, flat clusters, over the surface of the tree - fifty to one hundred or more flowers in a cluster. May, June. Fruit - very ornamental, about the size of peas, scarlet, in large, flat clusters, ripening in autumn and remaining into the winter. Found - from Labrador and Newfoundland through the Northern States and southward along the Alleghany Mountains. Its finest growth is on the northern shores of Lake Huron and Lake Superior. General Information - A slender, somewhat pyramid-shaped, tree, ten to thirty feet high, much and justly prized as one of the best of the native trees for ornamental planting. Its bark and the unripe fruit are very astringent, and are sometimes used medicinally. A slightly different species (P. sambucilolia) is sometimes found in cold swamps and on the borders of streams along the Northern frontier. The Mountain Ash or "Rowan Tree" has for a long time been renowned as a safeguard against witches and all evil spirits. A mere twig of it suffices. "Rowen-tree and red thread Put the witches to their speed." "The spells were vain, the hag returned To the queen in sorrowful mood, Crying that witches have no power Where there is row'n-tree wood."

Genus Pyrus, L. (Mountain Ash)

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, nine to fifteen); alternate (often alternate in threes);…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, thirteen to twenty-one); alternate; edge of leaflets sharp-toothed. Outline of leaflet - long egg-shape. Apex - taper-pointed. Base - rounded or slightly heart-shaped, and one-sided. Leaf/Stem - slightly downy. Leaflet/Stem - very short. Leaf - twelve inches long, or more. Leaflets - about two to four inches long; the lower pairs shortest; slightly downy beneath. Bark - blackish and thick. Fruit - about two inches in diameter; rounded; the husk greenish-yellow when ripe, roughly dotted, spongy, decaying without splitting into sections; the nut dark, and deeply and roughly furrowed. October. Found - from Western Massachusetts westward and southward. Its finest growth is west of the Alleghany Mountains. Eastward it is now everywhere scarce.. General Information - A tree thirty to sixty feet high, or often much higher. Its rich, dark-brown heart-wood is of great value, and has been more widely used in cabinet-work, for interior finish, and for gun-stocks than the wood of any other North American tree. Juglans, from two Latin words meaning nut of Jupiter.

Genus Juglans, L. (Walnut)

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, thirteen to twenty-one); alternate; edge of leaflets sharp-toothed.…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, fifteen to seventeen); alternate; edge of leaflets sharp-toothed. Outline - of leaflet, long egg-shaped or long oval. Apex - taper-pointed. Base - rounded. Leaf/Stem - downy and sticky. Leaf - twelve to twenty inches long. Leaflet - three inches or more in length; downy, especially beneath. Bark - of the branches, light gray and smoothish. Twigs - as well as leaf-stems and fruit, very sticky. Fruit - long (two to three inches), pointed. Husk - very sticky; green at first; brown when ripe, becoming very dark; not splitting in sections. Nut - deeply and roughly furrowed and sharp-ridged, with a sweet oily kernel. September.Found - in Southern Canada, and common in New England and the Middle and Western States. General Information - A tree twenty to fifty feet high, with a short, stout trunk and very wide-reaching, horizontal branches. The heart-wood is reddish or light brown, not as dark nor as hard as in the Black Walnut. It is used for ornamental cabinet-work and interior finish.

Genus Juglans, L. (Walnut)

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, fifteen to seventeen); alternate; edge of leaflets sharp-toothed.…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, five); alternate; edge of leaflets sharp-toothed. Outline - of leaflet, long oval, reverse egg-shape or egg-shape, the lower pair differing in shape from the others, and much smaller. Apex - long-pointed. Base - of the end leaflet, wedge-shape; of the others, more or less blunted. Leaf/Stem - rough throughout. Buds - large and scaly, often of a green and brown color. Leaflet/Stems - lacking (or scarcely noticeable), excepting the roughish stem of the end leaflet. Leaflets - four to eight inches long; roughish below. Bark - dark and very rough in the older trunks, peeling up and down in long, shaggy strips. Often the strips cling at their middle and are loose at each end. Fruit - round, nearly one and a half to two inches in diameter; the husk, thick (nearly half an inch), depressed at the center, grooved at the seams, and wholly separating into four inches at maturity; the nut, about one inch long, often the same in breadth, slightly flattened at the sides, angular, nearly pointless, whitish, with a rather this shell, and a large finely flavored kernel. October. Found - from the valley of the St. Lawrence River to Southeastern Minnesota, and southward to Western Florida. Its finest growth is west of the Alleghany Mountains.General Information - A tree, fifty to eighty feet high, of great value. Its tough and elastic wood is used in making agricultural implements, carriages, axe-handles, etc. It ranks also among the best of woods for fuel. Most of the "hickory nuts" of the markets are from this species. All the Hickories are picturesque trees. Their tendency, even when standing alone, is to grow high, and with heads that, instead of being round, are cylinder-shaped to the very top, with only enough breaks and irregularities to add to the effect. This tendency is more marked in the Hickories than in any other of the leaf-shedding trees of North America. They are worthy of the name sometimes given them of 'the artist's tree." Hicoria, from a Greek word meaning round, in allusion to the shape of the nut.

Genus Hicoria, Raf., Carya, Nutt. (Hickory)

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, five); alternate; edge of leaflets sharp-toothed. Outline…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered, leaflets, seven to nine); alternate; edge slightly and rather roundly toothed. Outline - of leaflets, mostly long oval, the lower pairs becoming smaller and more egg-shaped. Apex - long-pointed. Base - of the end leaflet, wedge-shape; of the others, more or less blunted. Leaf/Stem - rough throughout. Buds - large and round and covered with downy, yellowish-brown scales, or, in winter, with hard and grayish-white scales. Leaflet/Stem - lacking (or scarcely noticeable), except the short, roughish stem of the end leaflet. Leaflets - two to seven inches long, rough beneath, especially on the ribs; fragrant when crushed. Bark - rough, becoming cracked across, but not scaly. Fruit - rounded, slightly egg-shaped or oval, one and one half to two inches or more in length. The husk is about one fourth of an inch thick and splits nearly to the base when ripe. Nut - slightly six-angled, light brown, with a very thick and hard shell. Kernel - is sweet, but small. October. Found - common in dry woods, especially southward and westward. It grows in Southern Canada and I all the Atlantic States. General Information - All the Hickories are picturesque trees. Their tendency, even when standing alone, is to grow high, and with heads that, instead of being round, are cylinder-shaped to the very top, with only enough breaks and irregularities to add to the effect. This tendency is more marked in the Hickories than in any other of the leaf-shedding trees of North America. They are worthy of the name sometimes given them of 'the artist's tree." Hicoria, from a Greek word meaning round, in allusion to the shape of the nut.

Genus Hicoria, Raf., Carya, Nutt. (Hickory)

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered, leaflets, seven to nine); alternate; edge slightly and rather roundly…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, five to seven, oftenest five); alternate; edge of leaflets sharp-toothed. Outline - of leaflets, mostly long oval. Apex - pointed. Base - pointed. Leaf/Stem - smooth. Leaflet/Stems - lacking (or scarcely noticeable), excepting the short stem of the end leaflet. Leaflets - mostly four to eight inches long, remarkable smooth, excepting that the under surface is tufted in the angles of the ribs and usually dotted with dark glandular spots. Bark - rough and close. Fruit - broad egg-shape. Husk - thin, splitting part way to the base. Nut - small (three fourths of an inch in diameter), not angled, not sharp-pointed, and with a thin shell.Found - on moist ground, New York to Delaware, west to Michigan and Illinois, rarely, if ever, in New England. General Information - All the Hickories are picturesque trees. Their tendency, even when standing alone, is to grow high, and with heads that, instead of being round, are cylinder-shaped to the very top, with only enough breaks and irregularities to add to the effect. This tendency is more marked in the Hickories than in any other of the leaf-shedding trees of North America. They are worthy of the name sometimes given them of 'the artist's tree." Hicoria, from a Greek word meaning round, in allusion to the shape of the nut.

Genus Hicoria, Raf., Carya, Nutt. (Hickory)

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, five to seven, oftenest five); alternate; edge of leaflets…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflet, five to nine, usually seven) ; alternate, edge of leaflets sharp-toothed. Outline - of leaflets, usually long oval. Apex - taper-pointed. Base - of end leaflet, wedge-shaped, of the others more or less rounded or slightly pointed. Leaf/Stem - smooth. Leaf/Buds - egg-shape and pointed or rounded, and with their outer scales a polished-brown. Leaflet/Stems - lacking, except the smooth, very short stem of the end leaflet. Leaflets - mostly two to five inches long (the lower ones much the smallest), smooth above and below. Bark - not shaggy. Fruit - of two forms: (a) pear-shape, (b) rounded. Husks - very thin, splitting about half-way to the base. Nut - about one inch in diameter; in (b) somewhat flattened at the sides and slightly hollowed above, and with the apex a sharp point. Shell - rather thin, smooth, hard, and bluish-gray. Meat - small and sweetish or slightly bitter. Found - from Southern Maine westward and southward. General information - All the Hickories are picturesque trees. Their tendency, even when standing alone, is to grow high, and with heads that, instead of being round, are cylinder-shaped to the very top, with only enough breaks and irregularities to add to the effect. This tendency is more marked in the Hickories than in any other of the leaf-shedding trees of North America. They are worthy of the name sometimes given them of 'the artist's tree." Hicoria, from a Greek word meaning round, in allusion to the shape of the nut.

Genus Hicoria, Raf., Carya, Nutt. (Hickory)

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflet, five to nine, usually seven) ; alternate, edge of leaflets…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, seven to eleven); alternate; edge of leaflet sharp-toothed. Outline - of leaflet, long oval or long egg-shape. Apex, taper-pointed. Base, pointed or blunted. Leaf/Stem - rather slender, somewhat downy, and often flattened and winged. Leaf/buds - small, slightly rounded or (at the ends of the branchlets) pointed, and yellow. Leaflet/Stems - lacking, except the short stem of the end leaflet. Leaflets - four to six inches long, the upper one usually short; smooth on both sides, or with a slight, scattered down below. Bark - rather smooth. Fruit - rounded or slightly egg-shaped, dark green. Husk - very thin and fleshy, never becoming entirely hard, with prominent winged edges at the seams, only two of which reach more than half-way to the base. It divides half-way down when ripe. Nut - barely one inch long, heart-shaped at the top, broader than long, white and smooth. Shell - so thin that it can be broken with the fingers. Kernel - intensely bitter. Found - usually in wet grounds, though often also on rich uplands, from Southern Maine westward and southward. It reaches its finest growth in Pennsylvania and Ohio. General information - A rather smaller and less valuable tree than the rest of the hickories.

Genus Hicoria, Raf., Carya, Nutt. (Hickory)

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, seven to eleven); alternate; edge of leaflet sharp-toothed.…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, three, sometimes five, rarely seven); opposite; edge of leaflet remotely and unequally coarse-toothed. Outline - of leaflets, egg-shape or oval. Apex - taper-pointed. Base - variable and often uneven. Leaflets - slightly rough; the ribs very marked. Bark - of young trunks, smoothish and yellowish-green; twigs, light green. Flowers - small and greenish, in delicate, drooping clusters from the sides of the branches. Fruit - large, yellowish-green, smooth, in long, loose, late-hanging clusters. Found - North, South, and West. One of the most widely distributed of the North American trees, with its finest growth in the region of the Wabash and Cumberland rivers. General Information - A tree twenty to thirty feet high, with spreading branches. Its wood is light and of slight value.

Genus Negundo, Moench

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, three, sometimes five, rarely seven); opposite; edge of…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, seven to nine); opposite; edge of leaflets slightly toothed or entire; entire at base. Outline - of leaflet, long oval or long egg-shape. Apex - taper-pointed. Base - somewhat pointed. Leaf/Stem - smooth. Leaflet/Stem - about one fourth of an inch long, or more; smooth. Leaf/Bud - rusty-colored and smooth. Leaflet - two to six inches long; pale beneath; downy when young, but becoming nearly smooth, except on the ribs. Bark - of the trunk, light gray. In very young trees it is nearly smooth, but it soon becomes deeply furrowed - the furrows crossing each other, and so breaking the bark into irregular, somewhat square or lozenge-shaped plates. Then in very old trees it becomes smooth again, from the scaling off of the plates. The branches are smooth and grayish-green. The young shoots have a polished, deep-green bark, marked with white lines or dots. Winged seeds - one and a half to two inches long, with the "wing" about one fourth of an inch wide, hanging in loose clusters from slender stems. The base of the seed it pointed and not winged. Found - in rich woods, from Southern Canada to Northern Florida and westward. It is most common in the Northern States. The finest specimens are seen in the bottom lands of the lower Ohio River basin. General Information - a tree forty to eighty feet high. Often the trunk rises forty feet without branching. Its tough and elastic timer is of very great value, being widely used in the manufacture of agricultural implements, for oars, and the shafts of carriages, and in cabinet-work. Fraxinus from a Greek word meaning "separation," because of the ease with which the wood of the Ash can be split. I find in the notes of an old copy of White's "Natural History of Selborne" this comment: "The Ash, I think, has been termed by Gilpin the Venus of British trees." Gerardes' "Herbal" comments: "The leaves of the Ash are of so great a vertue against serpents, as that the serpents dare not be so bolde as to touch the morning and evening shadowes of the tree, but shunneth them afarre off, as Pliny reporteth in his 16 book, 13 chap. He also affirmeth that the serpent being penned in with boughes laide rounde about, will sooner run into the fire, if any be there, than come neere to the boughes of the Ash."In Scandinavian mythology the great and sacred tree, Yggdrasil, the greatest and most sacred of all trees, which binds together heaven and earth and hell, is an Ash. Its roots spread over the whole earth. Its branches reach above the heavens. Underneath lies a serpent; above is an eagle; a squirrel runs up and down the trunk, trying to breed strife between them.

Genus Fraxinus, L. (Ash)

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, seven to nine); opposite; edge of leaflets slightly toothed…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, seven to nine); edge of leaflets nearly entire or slightly toothed. Outline - of leaflet, long oval or egg-shape. Apex - taper-pointed. Base - somewhat pointed. Leaf/Stem - velvety-downy. Leaflet/Stem - about one fourth of an inch long, or somewhat less, and velvety-downy. Leaf/Bud - rounded, nearly concealed by the leaf-stem, downy, and of a dark, rusty brown. Leaflet - two to six inches long, downy beneath, and pale, becoming reddish. Bark - of the trunk, dark ashy or granite-gray, or of a deep brown. It is slightly furrowed up and does, the furrows seldom joining or crossing. The branches are grayish. The young shoots are velvety, with a grayish or rusty down. Winged seeds - resembling those of the White Ash, but usually with the end of the wing more rounded. Found - along borders of streams and in low and swampy ground - New Brunswick to Minnesota, and southward to Northern Florida and Alabama; but rare west of the Alleghany Mountains. Its finest growth is in the Northern Atlantic States. General Information - A medium-sized tree, usually thirty to fifty feet high, of less value than the White Ash. Fraxinus from a Greek word meaning "separation," because of the ease with which the wood of the Ash can be split. I find in the notes of an old copy of White's "Natural History of Selborne" this comment: "The Ash, I think, has been termed by Gilpin the Venus of British trees." Gerardes' "Herbal" comments: "The leaves of the Ash are of so great a vertue against serpents, as that the serpents dare not be so bolde as to touch the morning and evening shadowes of the tree, but shunneth them afarre off, as Pliny reporteth in his 16 book, 13 chap. He also affirmeth that the serpent being penned in with boughes laide rounde about, will sooner run into the fire, if any be there, than come neere to the boughes of the Ash."In Scandinavian mythology the great and sacred tree, Yggdrasil, the greatest and most sacred of all trees, which binds together heaven and earth and hell, is an Ash. Its roots spread over the whole earth. Its branches reach above the heavens. Underneath lies a serpent; above is an eagle; a squirrel runs up and down the trunk, trying to breed strife between them.

Genus Fraxinus, L. (Ash)

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, seven to nine); edge of leaflets nearly entire or slightly…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, seven to eleven, usually nine); opposite; edge of leaflet toothed. Outline - of leaflet, narrow, long oval or long egg-shaped Apex - taper-pointed. Base - rounded. Leaf/Stem - lacking. Leaf/Bud - deep blue or blackish. Leaflet - three to five inches long, smooth and green on both sides, excepting where it is slightly hairy along the lower part of the middle rib. When crushed it has an Elder-like odor. Bark - of trunk, dark granite-gray, somewhat furrowed and broken up and down with roughness, which continue in the old tree. The young branches are smooth and grayish and marked with black and white dots and warts. Winged seeds - nearly one and one half inches long, with the wing three eighths of an inch wide and extending around the seed. Ripe in July. Found - along low river-banks and in swamps, which it sometimes fills; in Delaware, the mountains of Virginia, Northwestern Arkansas, through the Northern States to Canada. It is the most Northern of the American Ashes. General Information - Usually a small or medium-sized tree. The wood is largely used for barrel-hoops, baskets, in cabinet-work, and interior finish. Fraxinus from a Greek word meaning "separation," because of the ease with which the wood of the Ash can be split. I find in the notes of an old copy of White's "Natural History of Selborne" this comment: "The Ash, I think, has been termed by Gilpin the Venus of British trees." Gerardes' "Herbal" comments: "The leaves of the Ash are of so great a vertue against serpents, as that the serpents dare not be so bolde as to touch the morning and evening shadowes of the tree, but shunneth them afarre off, as Pliny reporteth in his 16 book, 13 chap. He also affirmeth that the serpent being penned in with boughes laide rounde about, will sooner run into the fire, if any be there, than come neere to the boughes of the Ash."In Scandinavian mythology the great and sacred tree, Yggdrasil, the greatest and most sacred of all trees, which binds together heaven and earth and hell, is an Ash. Its roots spread over the whole earth. Its branches reach above the heavens. Underneath lies a serpent; above is an eagle; a squirrel runs up and down the trunk, trying to breed strife between them.

Genus Fraxinus, L. (Ash)

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, seven to eleven, usually nine); opposite; edge of leaflet…