CROSSWORD

750: Spring has sprung by Mass

A first prize of £20 and two further prizes of £10 (or a copy of Chambers Dictionary, now price £12.95 — ring the words `Chambers Dictionary' above) will be awarded for the first three correct solutions opened on 7 April. Entries to: Crossword 750, The Spectator, 56 Doughty Street, London WC1N 2LL.

3s 36

37

38

39

Twelve normal talic clues give answers whose lengths are shown in brackets; the lights to be entered (all words) are derived from these answers in a way suggested by the title. The remaining clues each comprise a definition and a hidden jumble of the light (one hyphened, one a phrase, one a Latin etymon).

Name Address ACROSS 1 We heard spring had bodied forth again (8) 5 A red piece in odd pale parts of carpels (9) 10 Springtide in beech-wood's a blessing (10) 12 Spring-cleaner aunt left? (6) 13 Weeds in bud are gale-tossed (8) 16 Old yellow pulpy core filling old viand (8) 17 Gambollers, too, about — fleec- ing kind (7) 18 Winter's thawed, sparing one (7) 20 Wind slams sturdy oaks (8) 25 Box full of Eastern ointment (6) 26 Sun tempers lanes and woods (7) 28 Vernal trait? Eclogue's planned as a letter, by Virgil (7) 29 Fold, note, in suit (6) 31 In spinny chlorophyl retints ev- ery essential feature (8) 34 Alder, raising buds, pleases (7) 36 Internal secretion gives lichen a colour now (7) 39 This French dab gets one whale (8) 40 Hidden? Indeed, coltsfoot waits

(Ell ' (E'll entice odd following (9)

42 Depicts aspens, trees renewed (10) 43 Move in reverse, setting back within network (9) 44 I hated blasted seed-time! (8) DOWN

1 Tree'll unfold in narrow lane (6„) 2 Shoot rather nipped may deal

3 Azalea alea partly out in box (6)

4 Springtide sap feeds twigs (5)4) 6 Period when daffodils provoked 7 Cuckooing at one time provoiw

discussion (11)

8 In .March waters lose ice (4) 9 Bright, too: fill-dyke's past 8 11 Their sheer flowers enliven 7 14 New shoots display points (4 , 15 Purged of Conservative bent (1 I 16 Return of cottage flowers on wall buttress (11) 19 Anger that's often kindled? (7) 21 Frosty airs check growth (4) 22 Swift ranged over lake (4) w

23 Pisces, just gone — sensible no to read Aries? (8) 24 Icy, plant has flexibility (7 25 Declined exib

— then broa) dcas again, on sound? (7)

27 Cultures stored artificially: On' saplings (8)

30 Oriental in gorge to SE (7) 7)

31 Piano piece, one of the blues ( 32 Lilac, healthy at villa (6) 33 March roared in troubled leaves

(6) d 35 Indeed, 'spring' means `send forth' (5)

37 Hyacinthine type bulb? (4),,

38 New copper-coloured berrY t'

The solution to Crossword 747 is on page 44. Dictionary prizes are sent out by the 'Post-a-Book' service.