CHAP. CV.

C'okyx.a'cejs. que'rcus.

1795

remarkable. [8eey?g. 1640., from Gilpin ; and fig. 1641., from Strutt.] Whentwo shoots spring from the same knot, they are commonly of unequal length;and one with large strides generally takes the head. Very often, also, threeshoots, and sometimes four,spring from the same knot.

Hence, the spray of the oakbecomes thick, close, and in-terwoven ; so that at a littledistance it has a full rich ap-pearance, and more of thepicturesque roughness thanwe observe in the spray ofany other tree. The sprayof the oak also generallysprings in such directions as give its branches that horizontal appearancewhich they generally assume.” ( Gilp. For. Seen., vol. i. p. 111.)

In fig- 1639., Strutt observes, “ it will be seen that the spray seldom shootsfrom the lower or under side of the branches; which, added to the roughnessand strength of their component parts, enables the branches to stretch outand maintain their horizontal position, not unfrequently even to the very lasttwig; although sometimes, from the great weight of foliage, and, perhaps, fromsome difference in the species of the tree, an oak may be found with pendentboughs.

“ The ramification of trees is of great importance to the painter. As well, ithas been observed by Gilpin (see p. 1790.), might an artist attempt to deli-neate the figure of a Hercules without expressing any of the muscles in hisbody, as to give the drawing of an oak tree without a scientific regard to theanatomy of its form, in a just display of the various angles and tortuous irregu-larities of its branches. The example shown in fig. 1641. is sketched from thedenuded boughs, to give a more uninterrupted view of their peculiar character.

“ The foliage of the oak is particularly suited to the pencil. In those por-tions which are brought nearer to the sight, the form of the individual leaves(fig. 1642 .a) may here and there be expressed, as shown in the sketch, whichalso exhibits what is technically called the touch (b) necessary to express itscharacter as it recedes from the eye.

“ The colouring of the oak, and, indeed, of all natural objects connected withlandscape, admits of so great a variety, that it is impossible to give any preciserules on the subject : a diligent attention to nature will alone, in this respect,avail; for, besides the ordinary varieties induced by change of season, fromthe tender and emerald hues of spring to the deeper bloom of summer, andthe rich and glowing tints of autumn, an astonishing diversity of colour is

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