This compact field reference book, devised and written by a distinguished authority, presents all the important features of the trees commonly found throughout Western Europe and the temperate-climate regions of North America.

Publisher's note.

Herbert Edlin's death at Christmas 1976 will be sadly felt not only by his relations, friends and colleagues, but also by a great many people who received both pleasure and interest from his very popular illustrated lectures, and by the even greater number who read and enjoyed his many works on forestry, woodland life and country crafts.

Herbert Leeson Edlin.

This book is the outcome of a long search for a way of presenting, by text and pictures, all the important features of common trees to observant enquirers.

Foreword.

It is fortunate that this book was well under way before my husband's death and I hope that the decision made and the work done to bring the book to publication are as he would have wished.

Note by Mrs. Edlin.

Since speech first began among our remote, forest-dwelling ancestors, men have put names to trees.

1. How trees are known and named.