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CCORDIN
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|\ai-ljt^(><sliijijai^^

PAH30NS

ACCORDING TO SEASON

1

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LiVtHWORT

III imiiiii irilnl,,)

I

ACCORDING TO SEASON

TALKS ABOUT THE TLOW/iRS JX THE

ORDER OF THEIR APREARAXCE IN

THE WOODS A AD FIELDS

liV

FRANCES THEODORA PARSONS

AL'llKlR av

" llnw TO KNOW IMK WII.I) FI.OWKKS,"

"HOW ru KNOW THE KERNS," ETC.

NEW A\n F.M,AR(;r.n kdition

WITH THIRTY-TWO I'LATKS IN COLOR BY

ELSIE LOUISE SHAW

Ah ! well I mind the calendar,
Faithful thruu^h a thousand years.
Of the painted race uf fluwers,

— ii.MBK^ON

TORONTO

GEORGE N. MORANG, Ltd.

1902

n/

Coi'VKMGin, 1804, 10!^?. HV

CHAKLKS -SCKIliNKK S SONS

I'liblisht'd. March. iuc5

TCA' DIRECTOHr
Ntw TOHK

V

M

ma

RUSSELL

4

>* ii I

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fCi^

^■K

f

AN INVOCATION

Great mother, now n ?iippliant I kneel
Where grassy aisles lead to thine altars .i;reen
And flciwer-fragrant ; where thou tlost rrveal
Thyself in all the majesty serene
Of thy vabt motlierliood. Alone anil long
Have I kept vigil 'neath this jiiercrd roof
'I'hrout^h which the bunliplit flecks the piny floor,
Where tawny thrushes hold themselves aloof
Yet flood the woodland with their golden song,
As though they too were eager to adore.

Or else on some gray curve of sandy beach.
Where lace-like waves with soft insistence hide
Their glittering treasures till at last they reach
The weed-strown limits of the swollen tide ;
Where in my face I felt the bitter spr.ay.
And joyed to know- the swin-t sting of thy kiss ;
And where I caught the salt wind in my teeth
Like some keen lover who is loth to miss
A single eh.arm. there oft entranced I l,iy
And drew in deep draughts of thy briny breath.

Ill

Or else perhaps ! sought some meadow low-
Where deep-fringed orchids rean-d their feathery spir-s
Where lilies nodded l)y the river slow.
And milkweeds burned in red and orange tires ;

AN INVOCATION

Where bright-winged blackbirds flashed lil<e living coals,

And reed-birds fluted from tlie swayinf; grass ;

There shared I in the lae'en bee's delifjht,

Quivered to see the dark cloud-shadows pass

Heyond me ; loved and yearned to know the souls

Of bird and bee and llower, of day and night.

IV

And so thy worshipper of many years,
1 liy child and servant, who has made no prayer
For self, who in her eager suit reveres
And worships but the more, now craves thy care
For this her child. Endow him with her love
Of all thy creatures ; make liim long to know
I he meaning of thy moods, that he may uin
llie later joy that comes when thou dost L-Iiow
Thine own self to him ; thus his life shall prove
In days to come that all of thine are kin.

Let the blue wonder of those dreamy eyes
Grow deeper as they dwell upon that sea
Which yields allegiance to the lofty skies
In rhythmic swell? of tidal harmony ;
Their sight be quick for hint of bird or sail
Against the distant reach of boundless blue,
Or for the throbbing radiance of the star,
Or curve of shell, or flower's tender hue,
'1 hy holy places one by one unveil
Nor will thy child to worship from alar.

VT

Thyself translate the Angelus yon thrush
Hymns from its tree-top at the twilight hour,
And whisper low the secret of the hush
Which thrills the forest with its sacred power.

Vlll

I

AN INVOCAIIOX

Mako ki'cn liis enrs for sighinfj of the trees
And w.ucr tlouini,' swift anions the stones,
Anil insfcts (Ironing throu.L;li the summer nitjlit,
And for those sombre (liap.ison-tones
In uliich is voiced the anger of the seas
When stirred by Heaven to proclaim tlieir inifjlit.

VII

I.et him exult in batthni; uilli herce wind,
And joy to breast the breakers swept with foam,
To scale their seething walls, atliirst to find
I'resh-liis^in.L,' steeps lieyond. Or if he ronm
Where seas of grass surge toward the settmg sun
Be beast and t)ird his brethren. May his sleep
lie sweetest when up(.)n tliy tender breast
He lies, where slumber is not yet so deep
Hut that the sli|iping hour.-, bring everyone
Dim benedictions to enhance his rest.

VII!

Sweet mother, tliough I long have worshipped thee,
Findintr great peace at eacli majestic aUar,
Knowing my sorrow sootlied \, her at thv knee
I lose my soul in thine,— how oft I falter
Because I know thee not as I would know.
Because I am not great enough to gras])
All of thy mystery ; wherefore I pr.iy
That thou wilt teach my darling so to iLisp
Thy hidden meanings that at last he grow
To godlike st.iture antl full light of day.

IX

CONTENTS

I. In rKi')i)rc i<iKY .

II. WiNTKR

III. ICaki.v (ii.iMrsKS

IV'. .Si'KiNt; i\ TiiF. (Jrv

V. A Si'KiNd Holiday

VI. May Xotks

VII. "The Lkakv Moxth (if J

VIII. A LoNc; Island Mkadow

IX. MiDSUMMKR
X. F>ARI,Y .\IGUST .

XI. Gni.DF.N-Ron and Aster

Xll. AUTI-.MN

iNr.r.x ....

NK

I'AGR

I

9

19
29

39
55
77
99

123

139

151

165

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COLORED PLATES

I.tVF.KUiiK I,

//./•aluu tnloba, . . Fr.in^ispifce

11 tl K

I. Ski nk (.',\i;ii \(;k,

KALlNli
I'AUE

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II- M\kMi M AkH.i.i.n, . . Oitlha ;<ahiuyi^,

III. Ckinkii -ko,,i, . . . /KiiLnia Jif/iyHii,
IV. " I'lOlUKIII. \lis " (,l

Cl\\.\.M().\ Fkkn, . OsmuuMi nitnamomai,

^' (-'(iI.lsiMH,! 'J'ussiiv^o Icirjara, .

VI. \V\KK Kmhiv, . . Tnllium (rcttm, .

VII. R(ir\-i).i,F..\VF.l) Vmi.Ki, Viola yotuinliJolM, .

VIII. K\KK FcrKM III nil.

Cn.MSln.v iJi.ii. \-|ni,Kr, / V -// .uculLiUi zar. falm.Ua, 50
IX. Lo\(;-sri-KKF.i) X'lniFi, I y.'stniia,

X. F.'\M Fu.WKk, . . . •r//,/,,,;-,/;/;//;,;, .

XI. I'AIMM. Tkifmim, . Trillium crythrocarpum,

22

26

32

3"
42
46

XII. Ffowkk .\ni> Fkrn (jf

Cl.lNKiMA,

XIII. Hi N( 11 llKkkY, .

XIV. ,

XV. Hi.iK FL.\r., .
XVI. Cancer Root, .
XVII. Pink A/,mf\.
XVIII. CV)TT()N-(;k.\ss,

XIX. SiEEPi.E-msii,

Clinloiiia /lorralis, .
Corn us I'liiiai/i'iiiis,
Calyp-.o hniralis.
Iris 7'ersiiolor,
Aphyllon uiiifloniw,
Hhododondyon itudiflorum,
/: yu'phoytim ! 'iy^'iniiuin
E. f;yacile

Sf'iy,i,ia fpiiic'ntosii, .

58
62
66

68

72
82
84

88
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102
IIO

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COLUKLU PLAIl-.S

Potfrium Ciiiittliitsi-, .

AuhpiKii f<urf<!iia.\<eus,
Liitum /'/;;.'/,/, ///jj, urn,

KhoJ^dcnUron -mo mm,
J'ti/'dloriiiin purptiivtim.

1 I.AIK

XX. (;i;K\r HiRNKi', . .

XXI. I'l i;i I I MllkUKM),

XXII. \V I.iiv, . . .

XXIII. Will I I >\\ AMI' IImNKV
SI ( kl.l',

XXIV Jmi I'm.wi I 1,, . .

XXV. N'KW I;n(.i..\.M) AnII.k, .Is/rr .Vo7u- .hi^/i./-. .

XX\I. Tt kii.K-llK.vi), . . . C/tflo>if f;lii/-ni. . . .

XXVII. lUl.sAM KlK -l/'ii-s hilsiinn-,}, . . .

XX\I1I. Ili'i;i;i.i.-ni ii I'tlniiitioH Lutt,inoidii,

X.XIX. I-Klll 1.1- I'M.NIl.l)

Ikii.ihm t'rilhuin erythrccarpum,

XXX. (ii<,\s, iiK I'akvassIs, . I'arnassia Carolmuiua,

XXXI. iMi. ..I M..CMAIN-

MaI'I-K -tifr sfinitiim, . . .

FACINO
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168
172

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176

I

INTRODUCTORY

Self sown my stately i,'anlt.'n K'fnws ;
'I he wiiitis ami wirid-blmvli seed,
Cold April rain and colder snows
My helloes pl.nit and fLcd.

From mountains far and valleys near
'i'he harvests sjwn tu-day
Thrive in all weathers without feai,—
Wild planters, plant away I

— K.MirijsoN

liehold there in the Wo^.ds the fine niadmnn . .
he accusts the jjrass and the trees: he feels the blood of
the violet, the cl..ver, and the lily in his veins; and he
talks with the bro.ik that wets his foot.- ■ iekscjn

INTRODUCTORY

That we know so little, as a people, of our birds,
trees, rocks, and Howers, is not due, 1 think, so
much to ail)- inborn lack of appreciat'Dn of the
beautiful or interestin,<,r, as to the fact that \vc have
been ob]i«,re(l to concentrate our energies in those
directions wliich seemed to lead to some immedi-
ate material advantage, leaving us little time to
expend upon the study of such objects as promised
to yield no tangible remuneration. Then, too. Icne of
our struggle for existence has taken place lan^ely ;'f' ""'' "'•'
in towns where there is almost nothing to awaken ' '""""'
any dormant love of nature. But, little bv little,
we arc changing all that. Each year a^ larger
portion of our city population is abfe to seek t'hc
refreshment and inspirati.;n of the country durin-
those months when it is almost, if not quite, at it's
loveliest. And while among this constantly in-
creasmg class there are many, undoubtedly, who
"having eyes to sec, see not," even among sights
sutHciently fraught with interest, one would sup-
pose, to awaken the curiosity of the dullest, yet

3

ACCORDING TO SEASON

Hahit of

tiOH

flierc arc others, many others. uIh, can cry uith
Mr. Xormaii Ciale,

" And oh, my heart hns iimicrstood
The spider's fragile line of lace,
The coinmon weed, the woody space .' "

who are quick to detect each bird-son-, and ca-er
'<• trace it to its sonrce; udio follow curi.)nsly the
tinv tracks of the wood creatures; who note the
varied outlines of the forest leaves, and discover
the smallest of the flowers that -row Ix-neath them.
If we do not happen ourselves to be blessed
with a natural turn for observation, a little com-
panionship with one of these more foiunate be-
in,L,^s will i)ersuadc us, I think, that the abit is one
which it would be both possible and desirable to
cultivate. It had never occurred to me, for ex-
'"iiple. that it would be worth while to look for
wild flowers on iMfth Avenue, until a certain
niorn.n,.r when a keen-eved botanical companion
stooped and plucked from an earth-filled chink in
Its i.avement, a little blossom which had found
Its way hither from some country lane. Since
then 1 have tried to keep my wits about me even
on that hi-hway of the Philistines.

We are prone, most of us. to be inaccurate as
^ycll as unobservant ; and I know of no better an-
tidote to inaccuracv than a faithful study of plants.
It is sometimes difHcult for the fiower-lover to

4

INTRODUCTOF^Y

control his impatience when he liears his favorites ^>, a„ti-
recklcssly miscalled; and in this imiu-ovin"'- ever- "'"''''
cise he lias ample opportunity to become profi-
cient, for many people clini; with j.eculiar tenac-
ity and unreasonableness to their first erroneous
impression of a flower's name. They consider
anything; so vague and poetic fair ,game for tlieir
ready imag-inations, glibly tacking the name i,[
one llower to another with iiic(jiise(iuential light-
heartcdness. Occasionally they have been reallv
misled by some similarity of sound. Such was
the case of an acquaintance of mine who persisted
in informing the various companions of his ram-
bles that the little pink-llowered shrub which
blossoms in June on our wooded hill-sifles was the
sheep-sorrcl ; and refused to be persuaded that
the correct title was sheep-laurel. His ear had
caught the words incorrectly; but although this
explanation was suggested, supplemented bv the Sk-.p-
arguments that the laurel-like look of the Ihnvers
at once betrayed their lineage, and that the sheep-
sorrel was the plant with halberd-shaped leaves
and tiny clustered flowers which in spring tinges
with red the grassy uplands, he would only reply
with dignified decision that his conviction was
based on trustworthy authority. So, perhaps, in
at least one small circle, shee, -laurel is sheep-sor-
rel to thij dav.

Liitrel or

sb.yp-

soriil

ACCORD! \C; TO SI.ASON

But the uninitiated j)n)l)ably allow their imag-
inations to lun more rife with the orchids than
witii any otiier ilowcrs. Usually they arc quite
l)ositivc as to the general correctness of their con-
Pifniar ception of an orchid, and unless you are prepared
ofanoi- ^^^ Lie made tlie oliject of a yery gcnumc ayersion,
cbtd y„^, ^^.jii beware of trying to cunyince thcni of the

error of their ways. In response to any such at-
tempt they will ddiantly ciiallenge you: " Well,
then, what ;'.s- an orchid?" and woe hitide you if
you cannot couch your reply in half a dozen
words of picturesque and unmistakable descrip-
tion. The term orchid is dear t(j their hearts.
Wheneyer they discoyer a rare and striking
flower they like to grac. " -ith the title, and are
sure to bear you a gruc -r depriying them of

the pleasurable power of conlerring this mark of
floral knighthood at will. Last year a friend of
mine happened for the first time upon the loyely
fringed [)olyga!a. Her deliglit in its butterfly
beauty was unbounded. Haying learned its name
and studied its odd form she turned appealingly
to me: " Coulfl you tvcr call it an orchid?" she
asked; and I was unpleasantly conscious (jf my
apparent churlishness in refusing to ennoble, eyen
temporarily, so exquisite a creation.

" I like flowers, but I hate to pull them to
pieces," is the cry of the lazy naturc-loycr. Surely

INrRODUCrORY

if \vc like a tiling- \vv wish t(j know something' TI.\'b,-si.i
alxnit it, to enjoy some intimacy with it, to learn "^j'^^V/,..
its secrets. Wlio actually cares nK)st for flowers,
the man who glances admiringly at them and
turns away, or he who studies their structure, in-
(]uires into the function of each part, reads the
meaning of their marvellous coloring, and trans-
lates the invitation expressed by their fragrance?
1 doubt if he who has never been so brutal as "to
pull a flower to pieces," even dindy understands
all the strange, sweet joy of a wood walk, when
we are tempted eagerly — almost breathlessly —
but always reverently, with the reverence that is
born of even the beginnings of knowledge, and by
so much superior to that which springs from ig-
norance, to turn the pages and decipher what we
can

" In nature's infinite f^oolc of secrecy."

she

When we learn to ca" the flowers by name \vc
take the hrst step toward a real intimacy with The- iiaiiws
them. An eager sportsman who had always fff,,
noticed and wondered about the plants which he
met on every fishing expedition, wrote to me a
few week since that hitherto he had felt toward
them as the charity-boy did about the alphabet,
"he knew the little beggars by sight, but he
couldn't tell their names " ! And it has seemed as

$

ACCOkDIXG TO SKASON

tli')ui;li a !, cries ol i»a;K'rs flescn'bitiq- the different
lliiwcrs to be found in t!n' woods and fields, and
In- the road-sides, duiinL;- the months siii,'-i;-ested
in tlieir titles, niii^ht, not onl\ he hel]itul to those
who eare t< ." tell their names," but mii;hl ineiease
tf.e aetual number ol jdants (liscovei-ed, as one is
far more liktiv to be successful in his search if he
liave a dehnite conceptifjii of udiat he can reason-
ably hope to fmd.

I his edition o| •• According- to Season" contains
a number ol new thapters, sotne of which arc
not confined to descriptions of llowers. Indeed,
the opeiun^^ chai^ter is a slii^ht studv of winter,
when, ol course, no out-tloor plants are blossom-
in;.:, save under extraordinary conditicjiis. J3ut it
has seemed as thoui;h the inclusion of everv sea-
son would make the book more complete, more
in harmony perhaps with the spirit of its title.

Thanks are due to the editors of the Xcw York
Tribune and of The Outlook for permission to re-
luiblish some of the following.; chapters.

f LATE I

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SKUNK CABBAGE
Sifii,j,l,,r,iri>iis hiliiliK

II

WINTER

—wide white fielJs, and fir-lrcc.-; tarrtd with ^„n

-I!kv.

II

WINTER

Durinjr the winter I am content — or try to
think 1 am — to make my head-ciuarters in town y^ineof
and to j;et fresh air and a broader outlook at in- "'"'''"'
tcrvals that arc frequent, but still at intervals.
I'crhaps the walk or the drive out to the frozen
lake amoui^ the hills for an afternoon's skatinij is
the more keenly relished because of a husv week
elsewhere. For all practical puri)oses nature is
at a standstill. There is little chance that she
will steal a march on me in the few days that
intervc:;" between my visits of inspection. And
there is a wonderful joy in leavim; [)eliind the
noisy city streets and startins^ out aloni; the
white road that leads across the hills. With each
breath of the sharp, revivin<j^ air one seems to in-
hale new life. A peace as evident as the sunshine
on the helds takes possession of one's inner beini;.
The trivial cares which fretted like a swarm of
mosquitoes arc driven away by the first sweep of "Hans
the wind that comes straitjht from the mountains.

Tlic graver anxieties seem to have dwindled in

II

trouhh-s

.\((()UI)IN(; I() SI.ASON

si/f ;is !hoi!;-li iti si.iiic iim\iil. lined \va\- tlieir
|""|"'ili ins :ils,, ucii' intlui iictnl by thai saiiif
laiii^i' ol distant hills. I'linrcaii sa\s that " inaiiv
"' "I" ti'Milihs aic hduschicd.' The tcndciicv
to iiia-iiilv jKttv dillu ultics, to ((ui^idtr (ine's

spii iai |iiiil)|inis iin|i((vs''')!c ol sojuti iiiii;ht he

f'iniiiKicd, I l)cli{\{-, nine tinus out ol ten, could
we i;tt out ol doors and turn our attention to (lie
ini|Ki^oiial ImM ahsorliiu- proMeni-, leadv to pre-
sent theuiseKes to the o|)en-e\ed [ledesti iaii. It
is not |M,ssil,|r always to run a\va\ lioin the- ron-
tine ol e\c,v-dav lite, hut it is possible olten
when ue tail to do it. 'i'he ( ! anees arc that the
thiuL;- \vi; ar'e stii\iiio to accomplish is not half so
ini]M)itant or so inspiring; as the tliini,^ (hat is
crowded out. We may not tliink it wise "to
postpone all to hear the locust sin.-r," hut I believ
we should tiiid more stimulus in association with
our kind were we less \vei,<,dited with the oblii^M-
tioii to do an endless number of cumparativcly
unimportant tldn^irs

One of the best botanists and ornitholoijists I
"^ '!'''",' 'y ^''■'^\^' is a New York business man whose hours
are ]on<j; and whose work is exactin<^. But dur-
inij: his brief holidays and in the early morning;
he has seen sii,dits and come to conclusions which
have ^iven him a hii^di j)lace in the estimation of
his fellow-b(jtanists and ornithologists. Few of

12

liiiJrr ilil/i-
cnlttcs

WIN 11 R

us (an rintiri|iatc surh rciiilts, Init with '^icafcr
(j|)p()itiiiiitiis iiiaiiN 1)1 us inii^lit ( \j)i I iciH (■ ill
some degree llu- jov ni ubseiNalinu ami iiivesti-
i;atii)h.

riic time w'll come, 1 li(i|U', ulu'ii I i an ^|i(ii(l a
ulioir vcai' ill til-' riunilr\. It is pi rUclU- Hue
that the eoiit lasl bet ween tcwii and ( nuiit i \ L;ives
a llavor to iioth in tin., tlial ot iii-iwise wmiiM be
iat'kiiiL;. Hut unless on the spcit all the vear
iiKiiid the eoiint r\ -l(i\'ei" is sure to miss manv
events of im|ioitaii(e. Duiiui; iIk- winter espt- lyn't,'
ciallv. when vegetable lih- is dorniant and w Inn
animal lile is infreciiient, an oieasional walk is
likelv to be poor in episodes of strikiiiL,^ interest.
In the books ( if Jdhn niirr(iiii.^hs and in Ihoirau's
journals I read enviouslv tlie winter notes on
owls, pai tridi;i's, red jiolls, crossdiills, chickadees,
and nuthatches, on mink, musk-rats, foxes, and
s(iuirrels. Hut even these brief lists covered not a
sini;lc walk or a special dav; tliev were the results
of weeks of observation on the part of uiuisuallv
kcei: obsc'vers.

I'"or myself, almost the onlv birds that I see on
my occasional country walks in winter are the Crcruj
crows. Perhaps because <j1 this their cries as they
reach my ear throui^h the frozen silence sound
pleasiiii,^ and really musical. And I like to pause
and watch them flap their deliberate way across

'3

'l\

if]

M

ACCORDING TO SKASON

birds

SlUKV-

F.irti-

fi<i!:lh
St/wi

the snowy fields, their jet-black bodies thrown in
reliel a-aiiist the blue sky and the white hill-side.

Occasionallv I discover a hawk circling'- hi<'-h
overlu-ad. Its slow, majestic evoluliouh are lull
of poetic ,<,^randeur. I feel sure the hawk exults
in its own i^race and power, it lingers so louj^
aiul lovinj^Iy on its marvellous curves.

That chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers,
even mhins and bluebirds and a number of less
common species are with us all or a part of the
winter, as the books tell us, I do not doubt, but 1
rarely see any of them before March. In some
sheltered spots they must weai out the nipping
days and nights, ventur-'ng now and then into the
barnyard or upon the doorstep for scattered grain
or kindly crumbs and scraps.

Once or twice I have noticed a flock of juncocs
in the city back-yard, driven to town, 1 supjjose,
for sui)i)lies. The only suow-bun^-ng 1 ever saw
was on West Forty-eighth St/' , ,,, X^w York
City, where it had joined a group of English spar-
row s an(,l was foraging in the guiter as contented-
ly as though it were not more at home in Arctic
regions.

In the country in inter man seems to be al-
most as inactive as beasts and bird^. If it were
not for tlie smoke th.-^t drifts from its chimney the
fann-hous. oukl ai)i)ear deserted. Occasionally

14

WlNIl-.R

a sound of wood-choppin- comes from the b;ini.
Across the frozen pond the plou-hman of last l^vit.-r
yeai- -Hides his horse as lie marks the ice tor the 'tZus'^nd
winter harvest. Near the shore, his proni,-e(l •^/^"'i'''"
sticks suspended over holes in the ice, the fisher-
man waits expectantly for pickerel. Here and
there, with skates and sleds and ea,-er youni;
voices, the boys and i,rirls add a touch of 'life to
what seems almost like death. Occasionally a
party of youn- people on skecs transform a snowy
hill-side into a scene of unrestrained ^i^avetv. A
pine-bordered lake echoes the exultan't cries of a
j^^roup of skate-sailers, while alon- the neighbor-
iuic river noiselessly and triumphantlv skim white-
winged ice-boats. But these evidences of life are
rare and in the nature of a sur[)rise.

For the occasi(jnal visitor the value of the win-
ter walk lies in his immediate surroundin^^s. The
intense silence that broods over the snow-bound
land is a conscious blessin..;. The deep blue of
the sky and the puqde shadows cast by the trees
and plants are a feast to the eye. The crunch of
the snow-rind beneath his feet and the varied hum
of thetele-raph wires overhead are music to his
cars.

Many of the oaks arc rustling with leather-like Oak-icaves
leaves. I do not know why some of the oaks are
well covered with dead leaves while others are

15

i

1

fii'

ACCORDING TO SEASON

I'llih-piiu-
hemlock,
and sprncL

Hrhaccoit
plants

An intcr-

eitiiin
uinti'r
itltdv

almost nnkcd. Thorcau clni.ns that th. vou,..
t^-ecs ,M,ly retain their leaves while he .uote;
•I'chaux as sayin.o: that this habit is peculiar to
tlu' white oak.

H'^' [.itch-pine, its ru,^^i:ed. spreading; branches
hol.hni; -reat bnrdens of snow, is never so eOec-
t.ve as at this season. The hemlocks and spruces
also arc- stran-ely beautiful with their coatin- of
-snow, while the shrubs are hun^^ with whitelar-
lands like a prophecv of sprini,^.

An important part in the winter landscape is
P ayed bv the dead trasses and oiher herbaceous
plants, especially by various members of the
^ composite family, such as the asters, golden-rods,
and sunflowers. Wreathed in snow or incased in
ice. they present a sin,<^ularly crraceful and fantas-
tic appearance. Or. perhaj.s. the slender stalks
and branches armed with naked seed-pods trace
intricate and delicate shadows .n the smooth
snow.

rhe decirluous trees make an interesting winter
^study. At this season a tree lays bare its individ-
"al'ty. We note the ano-Ie at which its branches
spring from the main trunk, the degree and .lirec-
t.on ,n which these branches curve, the appear-
ance of the bark, the arrangement of the buds
as we can at no other period of the year \[
IS something of an accomplishment as well as a

I6

WINTER

H-'i:itrr
bud.

I>astiiiic to be able to name coneellv tlie leafless
trees and shrubs as ue drive along tiie road or
flash by on the train.

The winter buds arc a distinct stimulus to our
lafforinj .Mthusiasni on days when sprin- seems
too distant t<; be real. Each one is a promise to
pay at an early date on which we can relv with
confidence. The catkins of the alders are deco-
rative as well as encouraginor, decorative to an
unusual de.i^ree after a storm when each little
tassel enclosed in ice sparkles and quivers in the
sunshine like a jewelled pendant.

Toward the latter part of winter even the un-
observant become conscious of these winter buds. Tr.-,ops
With the first mild days of Februarv they swell ^'"""'
and their color deepens. Especiallv in t'he up- '""'
permost ones, which receive the greatest share of
sunshme. this is noticeable. The pulse quickens
as we notice for the first time that the tree-tops
on the wooded hill-side, gray and lifeless since
November, are flushed with rosy color The
tops of the willows and the osiers are turning
golden-yellow. The brambles and i .nv othe'?
slirubs take on deep red and purple tints '

When the sun has melted the snow, or even Root-
\vliere y.ni push away the frozen crust, you arc "^'''
surprised to Hnd the bright-green root-leaves of
'"^^'>y plants that are not considered hardy, such

X7

k

Sptiitg is
berc

ACCORDING I'O SEASON

as (lifTercnt members of the mustard family, chick-
weed, buttercup, speedwell, and others. Aj); ir-
cntly they have proiite- their icy coveriii-,^.

Sprir.g is in the coi crow and in the dog's
baik. It is in the fre.^n, stimulating odor that
comes up from the earth, just bared to the sun-
shine. It is no longer wise for the nature-lover
to procrastinaic.

iS

ck-
ir-

icr'c
?-> ^

hat
un-
ver

III

EARLY GLIMPSES

In a |jl(.;,sam spnnL' morning; .ill m<-n\ ,i„5 are fur^iven.

-TllllRKAl'

Ill

EARLY GLIMPSES

Even so faithful and expcricp.ccd a -.vatclicr as
TlKjreau wrote: "No mortal is alert enoui^h to Tke daun
be awake at the first dawn of spriii-;." However '^^'^"■''^'
eaj^erly we look each morning; for the burstin'^ of
the earliest bud, or however zealously we listen
for the actual son^- of tlie first bird, our bird or
our flower, when it does come, is almost sure
either to have been antedated by another, or to
bear about it unmistakable evidence of having
been on the scene for some days.

One of the first indications of the ireneral
awakening- is given by the fallen keys of the Mapu-
maples. Before the last thin sheet of snow has ^'^''
melted, you see the maple-keys, or rather half-keys,
for each pair is broken in two, standing erect,
with uplifted wing, the seed-case usually burrow-
ing its way into the earth before striking root.
The seeds of two of our best-known maples, the
red and the white, - .. not postpone their germina-
tion till the spring following their maturity, but
often begin this work as soon as the keys have

21

ACCORni\(; TO SI.ASON

(.atkufi
p'isb out

B,'e and
hutterfly

appear

fallen. riit- tariy npcnini; ot the fruit of these
two species, which are the hrst to lloucr. secures
the UK.st hivorable coiiJitious for the speedy ger-
mination of tlieir seed.

The hurstin- of tiic uppermost buds of these
two maples, the pushin- ,nit ot the > atkins on the
willows, poplars, aldeis.and birches, and the ap-
l)earance in tlieswampv woods ot the <;reen, red.
and purplish hoods oi the skunk-cahha-e are'
almost simultaneous, fresh si-ns that the year is
carryin.; on her leisurely preparations for sunnner.
Every h(nir now we expect s<;me new eviilencc (;(
!icr pror,rrcss. The bee is ready to steal the pollen
from the hrst tassel that turns yellow on the brook-
iovint; willow. The pretty mournin- cloak but-
terfly, its brown, velvety win<;s bordered with
bulfand spotted with blue, crawls out fn.m the
wo.xl-pile into the sunshine, in the wo.;ds the
chickadees, and in the -ardens the juncoes. are
chippinf,r and chatterin- while closely ranked, the
cedar waxwin-s fly from cMie tree to another.
All these are so-called winter birds, but to me
they become frequent and conspicuous only in
early spring.

These days, with what is almost homesickness,
I watch for the first robin. It is useless to look
for him when the ground is covered with snow.
But when the bare, brown earth comes through

23

^LAT^ II

•►v •*>! -V

MARSH MARIGOLD
Ciillhil jiiiliislns

iii

hARLY GLIMPSI'.S

ill i^iciit patches that are as Irtsh aii.i sweet \o
tlic nostrils as tiiey arc welcome to tlic eyes, in
some strani^e, unexplained lasluon 1 am conscious
that tlur robins have come. 1 iievtr know ]iist
when and how this welcome and always thrilliiiLC
discovery is made. Hefoie I see them I feel
them, ['erhaps their voices reach me throui^h The first
the distance so faintly at first that I do not rec- ''"''"'
oi^^nize fully their presence. But suddenly, with-
out surprise, i hear close overhead that sh.arp
cluckini; call, curiouslv human and suf^gcstive of
the anxicjus would he householder. After u mo-
ment's search I see him hii;h amoni; the topmost,
leafless branches of the elm. lie stands motion-
less, his bright red breast shinini; in the sun-
lii^ht. Then with another cluckinj^ cry he flics
away. Sometimes for a day or two he seems to
be alone, but usually within hfteen minutes one
or iiK^re of his fellows appear, with such an air
of beiui; at home that I feel sure they must have
been on hand for several days. But whether or
no this be the case matters little. With the coming
of the first robin a peculiar elation possesses me.
However l)lustcrin<^ and snowv the March winds,
they cannot fool me now. Youth and hope as-
sert their eternal sway and melt the frozen rills of
my being as surely as the sunshine is breaking up
every brook that must find its way to the sea.

Ill

ACCOKDINC, lO Si ASON

I Ik- lol.in is n.,i a i.iiily, l,iit liis advent makes
t'"' "I'l man \<>iini,r a-ain ; |,,r llu: moiiiciil it
turns the diillatd into a poet.

It may be some \V(( ks luforc u c- licar (he son^

latter halt (;l Mardi. within a Ic^w <lavs of its
Inst appearance. Its earlv morniiiLr call ^r,v,.t(.,i
inv eais belorc I was fairly awake, and late ii<
the alternoon. in heavy rain as well as in dear
weather, the sen ne, nielodidus stiain came to tne
from the tree-tops. It is a simple sonj; but it is a
beautiful one, siieakinj,^ of hiifh and hope. There
IS an element ol sadness alxMit it which may be
lent f)y the listener. 1 hardly know. But I do
know that in all natui e t liere is no sound which
so swiftly takes one back to the hapi.y, hopeful
days of early life.

The bluebird, as compared with the robin, is n
rarity in my nei<;hl)oi hood. It arriyes usually a
r*r^/„,. little later, and, thou-h 1 hayc been on the watch
lor days, its blue, waverino- tliori,, ;,„,| elusive song
haye always the effect of unexpectedness. Ft dis-
appears as suddenly as it comes. Almost before 1
am sure it is here, out of slight it Hashes. Till I
haye seen it lor the second or third time I cannot
be comfortal)ly conhdent that the sudden yision is
more than a dream. In my experience it lacks
the a,<r<rrcssiycness and persistence which keep the

24

bird

I'.ARLV GLIMI'Sl-.S

roMiis widi us, however niilri

IllCIlt.

Tl

'•iiillv tluii- ciniroii-
li

10 rot)ni IS I. to l)c iliivcii Iroiii the
iieiL^hborhood hecaiisc of piowlini; cats, atid haik-
iii.LC ihi-s, and small hoys with sliii<,'s and a thirst

lor blood. Just as

surely as I lie iiiilitarv liiiLT in Tl,' hi,,,

Ins voice assures you ot hi^ (klcrnunaf ion to stand
up for his rii^rhts, the tremulous, coiitldiui; son- ol
the bluebird eNjiressi's the doetiinc o[ non-resist-
ancc. In this wav there seems a .,wrt ol benedic-
tion in its eom[.aiu'onshi[), a su^-j^estioii that the
social atniosplKic is chari;ed with the"charitv"
aiul the" purity " which it preacher with sui h rare
and persistent melody.

Almost simultaneously with the robins and blue-
birds arrive the purple j^nackles. One welcomes
them for what they represent rathei than l-.r what
they are. Their plumai^c. with its iridescent
blacks, greens, and purples, is beautiful, but their
voices arc strangely discordant, with the rustv
ereak of unoiled machinery. Occasionally in some
note lurks a possibility of sweetness, but immedi-
ately it goes off into a discouraging squeak. Their
manners also are rude and restless. We endure,
however,evcn welcf)me, thegrackles, because they
are among the first heralds of spring.

The arrival of the song-sparrow, like that of the
robin and bluebird, is among the uncertainties of
the season. This little creature does not give vent

35

i.lutton

ACCORDING TO SKASON

Sons;'
spariirx

Fox-spar-
ro~ds

at once to that strain of jovous contulcncc which
later becomes so frequent. At first he hops
stealthily about the bushes, lispinj^ occasional
sweet but hesitating; notes, which we trace to their
source with difficulty, if at all. As time goes on
he gains boldness, and soon his gay little carol
sounds from every quarter.

These are the clays when we wait cagerlv the
passing of the fox-sparrows. Some windv March
morning they are blown in upon us like an eddy-
ing gust of dead leav s. Then their song, the
most complete and musical of the year so far, "a
richly modulated whistle," seeming more like the
perfect product of the mature vcar than the strain
of some passing minstrel, reaches our delighted
ears. For several davs we watch them, plump,
sparrowlike birds, with rich red-brown markings,
scratching for seeds in the red-brown, leafless
thicket. But one morning we stealthily approach
their chosen feeding-ground, our ears alert for the
fresh, airy, jubilant car(jl which has greeted us
before, and all is silent. The fox-sparrows are on
the way to their chosen rtsting-place in the far
North.

If one quite ignorant of l)irds and their ways
wishes to become bettei- informed he should begin
his ornithological studies during this month of
March. In the first place, so few species are pres-

26

PLATE 111

fit!

CRINKLE-ROOT
I hi, I,,,-,, I ,/;, ,!,.,!!.,

i

EARLY GLIMPSKS

cut that lie is able with some dcu^rcc of thcjidULjh-
ness and in a leisurely fashion to acc]uaint himself The month
with the appearance and habits of one bird or '.^^oiiiJ-h-
species at a time. In the second place, at this '"["•"■'oio-
season the trees and l)ushcs are leafless, affordin','-
an almcjst unobstructed view of the birds that lijj:ht
on their branches, whereas later in the year the
masses of foliage constantly interrupt our obser-
vations.

In Aj)ril it becomes less easy to keep count of
the new arrivals in the bird-world, fcjr soon they
reach us in great numbers. Now we may hope
to hear the ecstatic, bid;bling notes of the purple ^p'l!
finch, the penetrating whistle (jf the peabodv bird,
the fine trill of the chipping sparrow, the spring-
like call of the meadow-lark, and the varied songs
of kinglets, vireos, warblers, and many others.
But even though these additions are so rapid as
to be confusing, the trees are still almost bare, and
the lover of birds should be abroad constant 1}'.

At times now the piping of the frogs is more
noticeable than the bird-songs. Near a pond or Fro^'. and
close to marshy ground, just before sunset, the
predominant sound is the shrill pipe of the hylas.

A very inconsi)icuous but significant sign of
the season is found, after diligent search, in the
branches of the hazel. Scarcelv later than the
maple-blossoms the little pistillate flower of this

27

It

■s

ACCORDING TO SEASON

Thrflmrr shrub ventures forth, "a crimson star, first dimly

oftbcLi'^ci j^.,^.ctcd in the twilight," a star of the dawning

rather than of the evening. Often I find at this

time the first (aint-hued fiowers of the liver-

Lnrnavt Same

hi aihh

ins

rh

Liitiiis^

wort and the early blossoms of the arbutus.

A dull-h^okinj;, uninteresting little plant, but
one we ought to value because of the hardy per-
sistence witli which its silky leaves and yellowish
fiowers ligliten the hill-sides when otherwise they
arc almost bare, is the plantain-leaved, or, as I
v;- have named it more to my satisfaction, the early
everlasting.

The record of these first weeks of spring is not
a full one. It seems to me that March and April,
far more than May, hnx to

'■ — haggle with their greens an' things."

But Hosea Biglow is right in liking our " back'ard
springs." They whet our appetite amazingly.
The joy of realization is doubled by that of antici-
pation. I doubt whether the wealth of song and
of blossom which delights us in June is worth
more to us than the rare, sugge'^tive notes that
strike answering chords direct from our hearts,
and the faint, unobtrusive fiowers that meet our
eves one or two months earlier.

28

IV

SPRING IN THE CITY

fl

'1 lie true liarvrst of ilaily life is

vhat

lUaiigible

and inJcscribal'lc

i the UMts uf morning or evening;.

-TllOKEAU

IV

HI

SPRING IN THE CITY

In the city as in the country there are marks of
the changing seasons pregnant with suggestion Seas^'-
to the nature-lover. One of the most unfaihng
season-marks in town is the turning <jn of the
fountains in the public parks. How joyluUy the
liberated water flashes through the sunlit air. It
seems to speak of the distant brooks that are
released from bondage and free to ripple along
their green-edged channels. There is a strange
fascination about the sight and sound of water
in motion. The sparrows dash with mad enjoy- iTater^in
ment in and out beneath the beaded, iridescent
curves. The children pause in their play to
watch, with wide, wondering eyes, the sparkling
jets. Even the grown-up passers-by seem to fall
under the spell and join the little group for a few
wistful moments.

In the squares it seems as though in the space
of twenty-four hours the grass had changed from
dull brown to bright green. Here, too, we are
convinced of the arrival of spring by the blossom-

3^

y

bi:Js

ACCORDING TO SKASON

Rlossom- 111

trees. The ^^reat. shinini,^ buds of llie balm ol

"'i'"'''^ Clilcad at last sliakc out their Ion-: tassels

The

-M-tiiiKcd branches of the white poplar
^"ive a'^n.isty effect, which a careli.l inspection

upper ,<4-o

discovers

to be due to a

host of downy, close-

se

t catkins. The elms and maples let out tiny

clusters o

f red and yellow ilo

I w e

fs — tlowers so

te and comparatively msig

irniticant that if one

u"-ht, standinjj; motion

iless, with head tlun^^

d and is able to account

minu

is ca

back, and eves upraise

for his apparently absurd attitude only by the ex-

phu.ation that. Japanese-like, he is " viewin- the

blossoms." the chances are strong in favor of his

bcin"- esteemed a harmless lunatic.

Another season-si-n is afforded by the flower-
beds in these same squares. As so.mi as the frost
is fairly out of the grourd. the needle-like tips of
the crocus appear. This plant is followed by
tulip, hvacinth. and daffodil. But before they
lutve time to blossom, the vases that front the
clubs and restaurants arc filled with decp-hued
pansies and En-Ush daisies, the latter the culti-
vated variety of Burns's.

" Wee, modest, crimson-tippit tlower."

The florists' windows yield a veritable feast
of f..rm and color. Even more of a delight are
the street flower-stands, and the moving gardens

^2

PLATE IV

FlDDLLHrADS" OF CINNAMUN FlhN
OslllHtillil cniHiltiiiilili (I

i

SlM<lN(i IN rHI'- CITY

in tlie shape of pedkrs' lloucr-carts

11

R-sr

>isl

sec in

like visions of a bri^-hitr woiM Kt into the

tlisinal mono

SlraiiLrclv eiioui^h

totiv ol our (lieary siilc-'^ti iit >.

tew ot these

tK)\v

et s

which f'.ui-ii'.n

)e(

rei
are natives.

Idled about tiie streets or sold in tlie shops,

^iTai'.N

And as one studies the ga

yly till

eti

window, or half uueon

sciouslv i.>)tes the contents

ol the pedler's c
)t a traveller as

art, if he chance to he soniethmi^

we

IS a flow er-lovt.

V. nieniones

ol nianv lands Hash tlirou-h his mind.

The yellow joiupiils now so abundant recall
the rocky shores of southern Italy, for durin- that
wonderful drive from Castellamare to Sorrento,
early in December (thout^h properly and botani-
cally these flowers bel.M.- to May), 1 hrst saw
them at home. It has never been my i^ood h)rt-
une to find in its native haunts that near cousin jon,i„:s
of the joncp.il, the dafh.dil. 13ut how abundant
this is durin- tlie early sprin- iu lu.-land no
lover of Wordsworth need be told. And unld he

eve,"

beholds it wi

th other than the " inw

he has in possible anticipation an

cnchantimr ex-

3cnence.
With the crocus is a

ssociated my earliest c

rocu::

se o

glimp
Auirust w

f Switzerland. It was already late in
hen. for the first time. I looked upon

struck

the Alps. And almost as <;rcat as my aw

exu

It

■ition in the grandeur of the snow-capped

33

ACCORDING TO SKAS()P;J_^

nioiinl:iin

s was inv <h'Ii;

ii ill ilir ;;i^'* "

IlK .11 11 'WS

al tluii kc

t studilcil with tin:

delicate blosscjiir

ot

llic

11 eidcus.

day!

(let- t!

(•11

tr;iiai

into Swit/cil-ind, durin

n; a climb up ''iic ol

ll

If ll

iwi-r iimu

and ^111 "I I'-

ariic

utaiii-. 1 li'Uiiil

(1 to look 1",'"'

the U)veiycyrl:irr.en,
this pecvtliarly satis-

fviii;

jiiJ pnm-
roms

Spir.ra
an J

Heath

/jmi/v

lowe

r one ol '>n'' n"

,st fi a>urc(' nni' >

<t:i-

tions. asthri.atun.lco.i.ianionc.t ...v walks.

The little Hn^Hsh daisy recalls .Mavn.onunt;
at Hampton ' -urt udicrc the s.pm -ih. ^n.ssy
sweeps were slurred wiihU.edrintyMossotns.

The close bunrhe. ..t ycL-n- primroses pel-
died at the street- '.rue. s, . uuure up a vis.oa
oltha:nuic^■-!.'-'■-li^.n•■'■.i^t lane where

,,„., ,ve tiro, i ard the ni,h,in,ale. whe.e
certainly. -m,.. ..d 'or all, ue tell under the spell
of the tramp.il 'K-autyo! the mother-covmtry

One of our !...oriteKas,eri,lantsi> the leathery

white spi-a^a. T.is is a Japanese eousm of --
well-kt.own .ncadow-sweetaml steeple-bush. The
yellow ^a-.iista, m. abundant now. comes, i be-
lieve, from New Zealand. U su-e^t. the wild
i,.ai.o so common with us in summer, am also
the E.tt,dish broom, all three o[ the.e p'an:. bem^^
closeU- allied. The lovely lorei^^n heaths, winch

look 'as though thev came straight from th
Scotch moors, could claim kinship w.th our trad-
ing arbutus, our ntountain-laurel, and w>th other

34

SPRING IN nil. Ci 1 i

t.ivui iic i)l.tn'.s wliii. li 1)1.

loll"- 1<) llic --ainc liiath

l.iiuilv.

Ui

lOP

mr avenues every sunny innnnii'.

in

ailv

SllOUU

piin-'; is 1. und .i;i<>

)tlur sc.i'^Dii 111

1 n.'t

( )V(- 1'1<>< >KV

I >II (I 11

:iik wliu.li
lid ;ilmi)st

fancy t!:al 'i-' ll"ral

)i.itiiin'> liad not hern lirxtr-

ccniiiu

t(.

siiuarc-. am

a'ld vases that lie witliiii

to

raimiLrs.

rtass-iiK

ols

/j.-.'j

All

aiontr

♦tie SK

L'v.-aiks, as far as tlir eye

can reach, are

patches (){ l)ri,<,-ht oI.m. These t)ri;;ht patches

arc nia(.>

)V mnuinera

hie habv-carriai^es. whose

■ eciii

s decorations hannoniZ<; in i;

,1V colon'

\Vl^

h ll;e 1'

insies and daisies ol

(!o\v-t)ONes.
daisies are

the i)arks and win-
And lovelier than either pansics or
the little ilower-iaces that beam from
the dainty equipajres.
^ Another si-n of the season is the call of " straw-

beriies" from the street-venders. It is a^ lull of
^uj'-s^e'^tion as the lir'-l note of the bluebird. My
jounial last year records that I heard this call for
tlie first time on the twenty-first; this year. I dkl
not notice it till the fifth, about two weeks later;
just as the bird.s and flowers are a fortnij^lit later
this year than last.

The Hn^lish siiano\\ s do their share in celc-
bratinp; the return o{ spring. If in no other wav,
the intensified colors of the plumage of the males
would signify that the period of courtshii) was at

35

" Sttj-j-
Ivrrus "

4-3

11

ACXX)R1)ING TO SKASON

Eiiojhh
spjrrou-'i

hand. But besides this, they arc more obstrep-
erous than ever; yet so joyfully obstreperous
that I cannot lind it in my heart to feel toward
them all the antai^onism that seems t(} be con-
sidered a maik of patriotism. That they never
had been bri)ui;ht over to banish our far more
attractive native birds is most heartily to be
wished. But as fhcv arc with us, by no fault
of their own, 1 find it impossible, especially at this
season, to withhold from them a certain amount
of sympathv. They are so overflowinij with vi-
tality, so brimful of plans, such ardent wooers,
such eaj^er house-builders. Their superfluous
enthusiasm in this matter of house-building is
responsible for the unsightly fringes of rope and
other materials that decorate the under-eaves of
our houses. The amount of energy that they
throw into their slighvest occupation shames our
languid selves. And I frankly admit that I take
a keen pleasure in seeing their palpitating little
shadows sv.-eep impetuously across the bars of
sunlight that lie upon rr.y floor. These seem to
bring within the house something of the freedom
of out-door life.

And to the citvbound lover of nature a pe-
culiar satisfaction is yielded bv the few objects
which help to link his svmpathies with his daily
experience. That nightly certain stars sent into

3f>

PLM£ V

-V »,

COLl bl-uu I

SPRING IN IHK CITY

my room their far-reach in<i^ gaze seems to bring
me into closer and more cinistant touch with the
mysterious laws of the universe. These stars,
too, are the most unfailing of ail our season-marks.
sky-Howers, " faithful through a thousand years." Skv/lvs-
The stars which companion me these A[)ril nights "'
are not those which glittered in the winter
heavens. And by this silent march across my
little limited patch of city sky, I am enabled to
note the passage of the year more accurately than
by any other of those indications which we, with
city lives but country loves, look and long for
each spring.

37

i

i

A SPRING HOLIDAY

: 4
I

LI

I. .o,„„ry bnrn a,,' l,r.,l, know where to find
■Vmc U„.,n>s tl,e< mnko the season snit the mind,
An seen, to ,net,.h the dottbtin' blue-hird's notes _
Half vent rin' liverworts n. furiy cats
l:|...dro„s, whose rolled-,,,, leaves . f >'ou oncurl,
I :,' h on e,n s , rcdle to a baby-pearl.-
.':;" ""-' ■''" >"■'' ^Pn^K-'s pickets; s„re e/ sin,
1 1'erel.ble frosts ■!ltr>. to ,IHve -en, ,n:
lor half ,,nr May's so avvfnlly like May'nt

I «" '"W rile a Shaker or an evri^e saint-
1 l-'n>;h I own .,,, I like our bark'ard s|,nn;;,
1 bet k„,d u l,a„de wilb their «reer,s an' thin«,
An when you '.n.^t ^.-ive „,,, .,„„„„ „,.^, ^^„^,,^
lossther,eMsf„ll.yb,„,.„„,,„^.^,^_^,,,, 1^.^^^

— LoWEI.L

A SPRING HOLIDAY

The countryman can hardly know the heart-
swell and the pulse-throb which conies to the city-
prisoned man or woman who breaks liounds after
months of abstinence and feasts on the first evi- /i udd,n
dences of returnins^ life in the woods and fields. ''"''^""'
Spring glides gradually into the farmer's con-
sciousness, but on us city people it bursts with all
the relish of a sudden surprise, compensating for
much of what we lose.

One day last week we resolved to break away
from work and take a brief, unexpected vacation.
So, early the next morning, breathless but happv,
we watched the city blocks becoming more and
more diluted, first with sordid vacant sjiaccs, re-
ceptacles for nameless rubbish, attesting man's
tendency to acquisitiveness and his depraved
liking for embalmed vegetables and refreshments Fields jml
abhorred of teetotalers, then with incipient gar- *''^ ■"''''"'
dens, restoring one's lost faith in humanitv, and
finally with miniature farms, gradually blending
into actual fields bounded by gray hill-sides.

41

ACCORDINC; TO SF.ASON

,-/ Lit,-

■.illlltT

S[)riiig- is rcallv hchiiid time this 3'car. And
when one is behind time himself, this accommoda-
tion of the season fills him with satisfaction. At
times on this j)articnlar morninj^ the woods looked
so bare antl lifeless ihat it seemed as thoui^h winter
were trying to laj) over into May. The gnmnd
in places was thickly matted with dead leaves,
while here and there, in a depression in the woods
or on the sides of the hills, lay a patch of dirty
snow.

But part of this wintr}' aspect was due to town
eyes, used to the c "ude masses and sharp outlines
of city buildings. Soon the woods were seen to
Tir.iit ,ya be blurred faintly as though looked at through a
mist. \Vc noticed that the outlines of many of
the branches were broken, in most cases by in-
numerable clusters of tiny flowers, these usually
without the more vivid coloring of later blossoms.
The flowers of the swamp-maple formed an excep-
tion to this rule. This trc- fringed the woods
with the vivid scarlet of its myriad blossoms,
and lightened the low-lying swamps almost as its
dying leaves lighten them in October, Another
exce])tion was seen in the flowers of the male
willows, which sent out stamens heavy with yel-
low pollen that turned the catkins into golden
tassei', and made these willows conspicuous in
the swamps and along the streams.

42

I- UATt V,

WAKE ROBIN

I nil I II III I nclii

A Si'klNe. HOI. I DAY

Tlu' elms ;il(,nL,r the iail\va\ \\vi\- not vi't in Iraf,
but l(i(i/^c(l as tiioii-li wrcatlufl in a loiipfrv ii;ist
--an ctfcct due to tli • minute jjlussoms wliich ap-
pear Ix'foie the leaves put Mut. Ilic su,i;ar-maples nio.umi-
uerc I ui>!inj4 into leaf an ' ilouer simultaneously. ""■''"'''
Some weeks aj^o the biixlu-> hcnj^out t lieii yellow
catk ns. .nu now their branches were blurred with
deh te foliaj^e This was cspei lallv noticeable
with the uhi'e birches, clusti'rins; erect and slim
on the uu)untain->i(le.>.

The oal.>, still hani: with the leathery leaves of Oak-Uair^
last year, tlu hii koiies, clu'stnuts, and, indeed,
most of the trees wc coidd idenlif v, showed few
^ii^ns of comiui^f summci. Hut their duii sprays
ami browns l)leniled with th • mistv pri'cens, reds,
and yellows of maijle, birch, and willow, forniinsr
a landscape full of tender beauty.

Wc passed fields yelvety with .iic "unnar cd
i^^recn" oi ncw-si)runi^ winter lye ; then skirted
the base of a hillside re w h upturned soil,
whose fresh, earthy scent seemed a'Miost to reach
us throuj;h the smeared windo ,, -panes. Wc
watched, touched by envy born of inexperience,
the farmer j^niidin^^ his ])loui;h in the jiale sunlii^l't
with the skill that makes tic hardest work look
easy. Across another fiesh-plou,<,died Held strode Th,- s^kw,-
a sower, strong and sine wy, with swin<,nn<T, easy
motion; and wc wondered if the bn \vn, solitary

43

i

ii.'ivr

ACTOR 1)1 N(; lo si:Asoy

fi^nirc ;i,!^Miiisl liic h.,/v l):ick-<;rniinH '

seemed ciiually full of poetry and sic

\v<' never seen .Millet's |'airUinj.r.

We flashed by a l.ank recently l)urne(l over, so

that no shrubs or debris o'jscured its Ire^l, t,r,-o\vth
Ur^uor, I-rotu the black slope, star-like, -em-like. distinc t*
and symmetrical, spran- the delicate flowers of
the liverwort, recalling vividly one of the Fra
An<^elico foicj^ronnds,

VV- crossed a swamp where bri.-ht marsh-mari-
golds huddled to<,a-theron little islands. In the
woods beyond, the hu-e leaves of the skunk-cab-
bage made patches of brij^rht ^r,-een. As a native
folia^^e-plant the skunk-cabba-e is surpassed only
by the false hellebore, whose fresh-lookin^r many-
plaited leaves were just unfolding in these same
woods.

One of the most satisfying features of the ride
was the constant companionship of brooks bi- and
little, brooks that ran full and swift, with the
repletion of melting snows and the sparkle of a
spring morning. Watching these brooks, the old
trite expressions forced themselves into one's

mind— " unlocked," "unbound,'' " laughing," " bab-
bling," "chattering." From time' immemorial
man has loved these overflowing brooks, and has
tried, not altogether without success, to interpret
their inevitable charm.

44

f-'o!uge

Broohi

A Sl'KINC; HOLIDAY

The (lav was still \(iuiil^ ulicii we icatlicd the
fi)\vii wlitrt' \vc wciL- to inoiiiit our wIk'cIs ami
c'oss the iiilci VL'iiiiiij; hills to the inn which was
oiii (kstinatioii. As uc ' pcil down the lon^' whiti
road the last remnant ol earc slippeil lioni us antl
we abantloned ourscivs coinpletely to the pure
jov ot swift motion and houndiiii; bli.od. 1 say
complelLly, but I am w^on^■, lor, even when eoast-
in<^ down a hill, the slidiiii^, niist\, sun-bathed
landscape is i>art of one's consciousness; and so
are the shrill-voiced fro<;s, the lisping;-, uncertain
birds, and the butterflies that chase each other into
the skv for the mere fun ol the Lhing.

And when wc were not coasting down a hill,
but pursuini,^ a fairly moderate juice along a level
road, we noted even the details of the wayside,
contrasting the silver-green catkins of the fertile
willows with the golden tassc of the sterile, ex-
ulting in the glossy green limbs of the speckled
alder, guessing at the circumference of the great
elm which marks a turn in the road, sympathizing
with the yellow-haired children who had brought
out into the sunlight their tailless wooden horses
and their ragged dolls, for joy of the perfect
morning.

Then came a hill too steep to climb save on foot,
affording a chance to peer over the stone wall and
wonder why this part of the world was so back-

45

lot- of mo-

lull

IV a V side

%i

lust

sLut

ACCORDING ro SKASON

ward, and if all tlic ilouers were left behind <mi the
cintler-bank. Another ride on a tine level path,
beneath shadowv, blut-i^reen pines, and anothei
clinil), this time with>int dismounting:^. Then a
rest (and, unless \((u have fmced your bicycle up
a hill under the niorniuij^ sun, you don't know the
nieaninij: '*f t''''' word) beneath a blossominc; elm,
seekinjj;- the shadow of i's trunk, for the leafless
t)ranches <;ave little protection, starinij^ lazily into
the swamp beneath, ')riL,dit with its willows and
maples, and at the dim mountains beyond. So
finally we reach our destination, with excellent
aj)petites for an excellent dinner, antl a strong;
tendencv afterward to loaf indefinitely about the
pretty villas; e.

But at last we summoned the encr<i;y necessary
(or a fresh start, on loot this time, for some neii;h-
bijrinj^- woods. The road led throui^h a pine-
i^rove, then by a ,i;rassy openinsj^, beyontl wdiich,
on a rocky slope beneath deciduous trees wdiich
let (havn <j^reat Sfpiares of sunliL^^ht, s:^rew the
starry, white-petaled, yellow-centred flowers of
the bloodroot, each one [)artiallv encircled by its
pale, protectinij leaf. It was some time before we
could take our hll of lliese snowy beauties. One
had to get lairlv down on the s^round to appre-
ciate their delicate jierfection, for their whole
ethereal aspect forbitls handling.

46

PLATE VII

ROUND-utAVED VIOLFT
I 'iiilii r.'hinlitdliil

.. SPRING HOLIDAY

\.)\v the floor of tlic forest lK-c:une matted with
(lead leaves. It was only hy l^eepin,^ close watch
ot cve'-y ,<,dinipse of green that, within two min-
utes after leaving; the l)loo(lroot behind lis. we dis-
covered the thick, somewiiat rusty leaves, and the BlooJiot
Howers, wax-like and spicily fra<;^rant, of tlie trail- i,„t„i
ing arbutus. Within a limited area the plant
grew abundantly, its blossoms, now pure white,
again delicately pink, sometimes exposing them-
selves fr dy to the sunlight, and seeming to give
out their fragrance the more generously for its
warmth, but ofteiier hiding beneath the dead,
fallen leaves. I denied myself the pleasure of
picking more than one or two sprays of these
flowers, singularly tempting though they were, so
fearful am 1 of the extermination of this plant, the
especial pride, perhaps, of our spring woods, and
the peculiar object of the cui)idity of ruthless
flower-pickers.

Beyond the haunt of the arbutus, springing from
a ledge which overlooked a valley lovely in the
greens and grays of the early year, we found the
white, slender-petaled flowers of the sluul-bush.
Here, too, were young, silky fronds of that Looki,:s
interesting little fern, the ru.<ty woodsia. And
here we flung ourselves on the dry, fragrant
pine-needles, and listened to the wind blowing
through the pines overhead and across the trce-

47

and ii^ttii-
nig

ACCORDING TO SEASON

Crinkle
rod

Sh.riv
ircbis

tops l)cl()\v. and Un-'^ni tl-.at holidays ever came
to an ciid.

Now the road climl)cd a hill where the trees,
other than the everq-reens, became i ;oreaiid more
leafless and (iowerless, and where the younf^ plants
dwindled into earliest infancy, showini; little more
than tiny spears of green. The white-veined par-
trid<,a'-vine, thickly studded witli brii^dit berries,
and the little winter<^reeii, whose hanginj,^ red
balls are flavored with so delicious an essence of
the woods, did their best to cover the deficiency
of other undericrowth, climbini;: over the roots of
trees and carpetintj the forest iiollows with cheer-
ful persistency. But when we descended tf)ward
the valley beyijiid, close to a little stream that
trickled down the hill-side, we found the crinkle-
root (juite full <,rrown, its three-divided leaves lar^e
and fresh, and its white, cress-like flowers almost
expanded. We du.^: up a bit of its fleshy wood-
stock and nibbled it from time to time, fancving
that its pungent woodland flavor added a new rel-
ish to our holitlav.

Still more interesting was the discovery of the
showy orchis, even though the flower-spike, push-
ing up between two great oblong shining leaves,
needed a tew more warm davs for its unfolding.
This is a (juaint, somewhat rare little plant, very
charming when its clustered pink-and-white ilow-

43

A SPRING TIOLIHAY

ers rsre in full Moom. riicn, ttm, it is uciicrallv
•'ckiiowledi^cd lohc the fiis-f cicliid of the \t;ir to
tiowcr, ,. fact which entitles it t" special consider-
ation.

Close to the jilants of the shf)\vv orchis i;reu'
th ratliesn. :e fern (/->/'• iv/vV/'w rirj^n!!(j!niiin in
various Ntac^cs of development. I'ctryrJiinr: is not

true ern. and conscq entlyits youn<;- frond does
not curl ii; i conventional " fiddle-head " fashion,
but folds over the fertile ixjrtion, which is also
"doubled uj)" in the hud. In its iniiiicdiate
ni iorh. )rhood, however, there was n(j lack of
"fiddle-heads."

The interrupted fern and llu cinnamon Icrn
had just come up "fist first," and could easily
be identified by their juicy, vig;orous appearance,
and by their soft wrapping's of white or brownish
wool. In sunny, sheltered spots they had thrown
aside their wraps, and were erecting, gracefully
enough, their slender, pale-green fronds. Many
other species, Ic^s warmly clothed, yet chiefly
distinguishable by the brown or black or whitish
scales of the young fionds, were shooting- up on
every side, now curled into the smallest possible
compass, watch-spring fashion, and now almost
erect, though still noticeable for a certain scrawny
youthfulness of aspect. Bu' the dav was waning,
and we were obliged to leave further exploraticjus

49

ACCORDING TO SKASON

YcllcKO
tioL-ts

til! the next nioriiiiij^ if we hoped for any tea that
nicfht.

The next day dawned bright and clear. We
mounted our wheels, and made our destination
some woods of quite a different character from
those we had visited the day before. They were
low-lying and, in places, swamj)y. Before leav-
ing the oi)en we visited the banks of a tiny
brook, whose green, inviting shores suggested
pleasant possibilities. Here we found our first
violets — little yellow ones, the so-called " downy "
species, growing in fresh clumps. Near by, on
erect, leafless stems, looking like a dandelion with

Colis/oot its heart plucked out, we discovered the coltsfoot,
otherwise tlie " coughwort,"' " clay-weed," " horse-
foot," and " hoofs." This being the first time I
had ever found this plant in flower, the occasion
was memorable.

A wet, mossy rock looked as though it might
harbor any number of plant-waifs. Picking my
way along the slippery banks, I shouted with joy

A'ddrock on seeing, lovely, fresh, and dainty, springing
airily from the flattened top, the first liverworts
we had found since leaving the train the previous
morning. In the chinks of this same rock were
soft young clusters of the fragile bladder-fern, still
immature, but exquisitely green and promising.
On the farther side of the rock grew that odd-

50

PLATE VIII

<

RARE FORM OF THE COMMON BLUE VIOLET
I'inlll I'liriiHiir-l .•'■ fih, until

A Sl'KlNC; HOI.IOAY

lookiii-; [.Kuit, th. I.lue cohosh, soniftinics called
" pajipoosc-root," with smooth, [.ui-plisli stem, pur-
ple, divided leaves, ami clusters ot purple tlowcrs.
Close to this j)laiit. was a Icaliess shrub with in-
siL,Miiticant ytlUnv blossoms, and bark so U)ugh
that it was almost impossible to break off a
branch. This proved to be the " leathern-ood "
used by the Indians lor thonj^s. It is also known
a, " moosewot)d " and " swampwood."

Once more on our wheels alonj^ the winding
road and we were in the wof)ds aijain. In the
sprini; woods the sun filters everywhere throu«,di
the leafiess branches, and nowhere did it meet i„ ih-
lovelier upturned llower-faccs than here, where
myriad, many- lined blossoms of the liverwort ex-
panded beneath its rays. Never before had I
seen this flower so abundant and so perfect— pure
white, pale lavender, deep violet, or pink of the
most delicate shade. I abandoned my usual
principle of leavinsx Howers as 1 tuul them, and I
L^^ithered them recklessly, with exultant, extrava-
i^ant joy, seeking every little variety of shade, se-
lecting the largest and most complete specimens,
fairly gloating over their perfection of delicate
beauty. Thongh the individual flowers of the
liverwort are hardly fragrant, a faint and delicious
odor came from the great bunch which finally I

held.

SI

ACCORDINC; lO SI ASON

Wiiilc iniiitiiiL:^ tiicsc lieaiifics I stuml)lf(| over a
palili ol vt'llow acMt I's-loiimir. its drliiatc lilv-

/tiUi'r's- like tl'iwcis iiiidiliii^ hctuc en tlic MiKiotli, inottU'il

bt'llvort lia\(s. .Miiailv I li.id Idiiiid pal( iirs of tlirsc
leaves, but iiDuiicie ( Ise tlie |ilaiit in hlossom.
Close 1)\. ill.' little hellwuf Iuiiil; out its pale,
straw-colored blossom.

Dut ini; a di ive ovii- the luouutain in the after-
noon \\H' noticeil ill!- uliile llowers of the sa\i-
lrai;e liurstini^ liuni almost ::ivisil)U- crevices in

Saxifijiy the rocks in its usual stniiU, attractive fashion.
.Many ol the plants weie so yount,^ that the llower-
clnster, pinkish in bud. was still sunk deep in the
rosette ol leaves.

At breakl.ist the next niorninir there was a
noticeable tindtney to the " blues." indicatim;
that our holiday was iiearlv over. But once

TL\-h^t a-wheel in the crisp morninir air the jov of livin"-
came back with niiai)at(>(l streiiL^th, and, as our
course lay mostlv down hill, the ride was {jccuI-
iarly invii^oratin';-. Xo\v, too, our holidav did as
a well-behaved holiday should, keepinij; the best
for the last. We had allowed more time than
neci'ssary tor this ride, that we mii,^ht explore a
templiaLC ])iece of woods close to tlu- town where
we werr to take the train. Xothiui;- that we had
seen since leaviii;^ home eipialk'd those woods.
First the usual mat of dead leaves, then liverwort

52

A SI'RINC; HOLIDAY

aiul vc-Ilii\v .i(ltIt'r's-t(>iiL;iu' in \\\v suiiiiv ^jiarcs,
then i^iiMt l)i)\vl'k'rs wiili lovrls little fdicsf t;ar-
dcns on tlicii ll.it siiifaccs; ilu' vduul;- wooIIv
Ifavt's 111 tlir wild Liiiiui't', its l.'rll-likc. nd-lnow n,
sliaiiulacHil tliiwcr attiialU' iniftv in its ticsli-
iifss ; i^icat L;n)ii|is ol w akt'-iohiii witli '^a\ pui-
I>lc-rc(l blossoms catchiiit; tht- suiiiiulit ; tiiiv btli-
woits, and the burst in;^. purplish blossoms and
delicate foliaije, sii<^(^estive (A 'riidenhair, ol the
earlv meadow-rue. Still larttiei- in were recediiiL^
cliffs with moss-^rowu shelves liarboiini^ leathery
tufts of bladder-fern, and- their erowninu^ ^I'Ty
— rrreat soft masses ol the fimlv cut leaves of
the squirrel-corn, with here and the: r a spike of
pale-pink, heart-shaped flowers. 'I"he moments
ilew, and the hour wlu'n we must meet our train
was 5)erilouslv near. With one lout; look we lelt
our beautiful woods, icmounted our wdieels, and
resolved to live the week throui^h on frai,Mant
memories.

S3

i'

MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART

ANSI ond ISO TEST CHART No ?

1.0

I.I

- |||||M III 2.5

." i|| 2.2

: 1^ "^

• no IIIII2.0

.8

1.25

!.4 III 1.6

j= /1PPL.IED IfVl/IGE Inc

'65! EaV Mo.r, St-ee.
Rochester, New Yorh ' ....
(716) 482 - OiOO - Phone

VI

MAY NOTES

'I he wiirM lianK's KHtttrint; In star-stD.vn 'ipace,
Krcs]i .1'. a jewel foiiml !mt yesterday,

— T. It. A[.DKKH

v\

MAY NOTES

1

As our seasons vary from year to year, a fair
degree of latitude must be granted anvone who
attempts to classify either tlcnvers or birds " ac-
cording t(j season." But usually the same flowers yarvius,
are contemporaneous. When I find the liverwort
in blossom, 1 begin to look for the bUjodroot and
the adder's tongue. In some sunny lioUow the
delicate pink-tinged and striped stars of the spring
beauty are almost expanded. And before many
days have passed the tremulous blossoms of the
two anemones will quiver witii the least breath of
wind, as they nestle among the great roots of the
forest trees.

In my neighborhood the columbine blossoms
occasionally before the end of Ajiril, yet it may Cohmbin;
fairly be considered a May flower. In favo:able
exposures it appears early in the montii, while on
the hills it is hardly in its prime till the latter part.
Its pendant blossoms, with protruding yellow sta-
mens, and curved, spur-like petals, red without
and yellow within, showing vividly against their

57

ACCORDING TO SKASON

y.ncKf

violets

Common

him ~cioL\

soft hack-nnind of delicate lolia-carc associated
with the i-ale voun- leaves, just bc<,nnnin- to ex-
I*aiul. of nei<,rl,boriii.^r maples and birches.

To this period belon.-^s the downy vcllowviolct,
a flower which seems ahnost a part of tlic sunshine
tiiat filters plentifully into the de].tlKs of (he tiiick-
cst woods these .May <Iays. Vet I doubt if the
<iownv yellow is the first (jf its tribe to blossom.
The flowers of the round-leaved violet, another
yellow species, arc amoni,- the early arrivals, and I
suspect that they antedate their con,<,-cncrs.' The
books assii,ni both alike to "April-May." But I
have found the flowers of the round-lcaved fadin^^
while those of the downv were still erect and
fresh.

The round-leaved is something- of a recluse. It
likes to withdraw itself to unfrequented woods.
In its leaves lie its greatest individualit v. These
heart-shaped leaves are not cspeciallv consi)icuous
when the plant is in flower. But later in the year
they broaden by two or three inches, lying Hat on
the ground, and presenting a shining surface
which readily attracts the eye.

The two yellow species are followed closely by
the common blue violet. In the manner of its
growth, the shape of its leaves, and the color of
its flowers, this little plant shows a tendency to
whims. It might readilv l)e taken for hall a dozen

53

PLATt IX

LONQ-SPURRED VIOLET

MAY NOri'.S

(liffcrcMit species on as iiiany occasions. But,
whimsical or not, it is one ot our best-loved flow-
ers. It links itself with our earliest recollections.
Fair and slender it <;re\v beneath the i)ink-and-
white blossoms of the old orchard, ainon<; the lon<;
grasses ot the neii^hborin|^ swaniji, close to eatjer,
childish feet, alon>; the lane. With a deeper pur-
ple it covered the little mossy islands in the be-
loved brook, that flashed and luimined its way
beneath spreading; clusters (jf the hobble-bush and
drooping racemes of the mountain maple. But,
perhaps, after all, we loved it best for the hdelity
and tenderness with which it brightened other-
wise waste and barren spots. Every year these
blue violets sprang up in the neglected corners of
the back-yard. They carpeted the desolate banks
of the railway before it had cleared the suburbs,
where otherwise only the coarsest and rankest of
weeds made themselves at home. They ran rife
in the old gravevard

— " where like an infant's smile over the dead
A light of laui;hinK flowers along the grass is spread."

Blossoming at the same time as the common Dogviold
blue violet, I fmd the dog violet. This is a low,
branching plant, with leafy stems that easily dis-
tinsruish it from the common blue violet, which
bears its flowers singly on naked stems.

59

ACC()Ri)lN(, lO Si.ASON

vtoUi

SucYt

ukltt'Vtolit

The- loiijjj-spurrcd vioUt, aiKjllicr sjiccii-s with
kafy sterns, as well as with pah- lihic flowers that
are notircahlv iniii; s[)iii red, is ..ssij^ned hy the
botanists to June and julv, but it is on in\ May hst
and 1 hud it tlowcring with the other eariv species.

I'erhaj>s the least showy of the ,i;roup is the
sweet white viok-t. Tliis attraetive Httk- j)hiiit
<,frows abundantly in (uir wet woods, pcrnieatiuL;
the immediate neighborhood with its faint, sweet
fragrance. With it we hnd frequently the lance-
leaved species, bearinsjj flowers that are similar to
V. blaiida. but with erect, narrow leaves, quite
unlike the rounded, iieart-sha{»ed ones of its kins-
man.

A strikingly handsome, and to me more unusual,
member of the familv is the bird's-foot violet. Its

foot VlOhi 11 . 1 , ' 1

blossom is velvety and i)ansy-like, f)ften with one
or both of the upper j)etalsof a darker shade. Its
leaves are deep.y divided into narrow lobes. Be-
fore the Botanical Gardens came into beinj; I used
to hnd it bordcrin^^ the Bronx River. The nth
of May last, durim; a drive alon<; the north shore
of Lonjr Island, on the sandy banks by the road-
side, the more fresh and lovely because little else
seemed to flourish there, I saw it flowerini;^ in
abundance.

A near relative of our wild violets, the "-arden
pansy, occasionally strays beyond its garden

6o

Bird\-

Garden
pansy

MAY NOl'KS

walls ami makes itscll at, home aloii^ the public

hiL:,h\vay.

Al the same tinu', an<l in much the same soil and
re<;iou as iiarbors the bird (not violet, we look for
the bi-i-ht flowers of the wild-pink. Tiiese never W /-/).«*
seem to me more attractive than when they flash
into si<jht as we drive or travel by rail. In tiie
hand they lack the delicacy of flnish and detail
which we hud in so comi)lete and satistactcjry a
flower as the violet.

Two distant relations of the early saxifra<;c, the
(oam-tlowcr and the mitrewort, are abundant in
the May woods. The first is well named. Its
small white flowers are massed in soft clusters
which spot the woods like flecks of foam. Us J«'»;^^^^^
lobcd, heart-shaped leaves sprint; direct from the „;,tnuort
root, with the occasional exception of one or two
leaves wdiich rarely appear upon the stem. But
the delicate, crystal-like blossoms of the mitre-
wort, so small that we need a microscope to see
them properlv, are more suj^.tj^estive of snow-flakes
than of mitres. Their slender, wand-like clusters
arc easily overlooked amonj; their more showy
companions. The root-leaves of the mitrewort
are not unlike those of the foam-flower. The two
stem-leaves are opposite.

Perhaps we look upon certain plants as rarities
because we did not happen tt) know them in child-

6i

.\CC()RI)1\(J lO SI' ASON

Il()l)(l, the pl'lidii ulllll (.VCIl.S IIKlkc the si lnli;;cst

iiiiprcs^ioii. The lldwcis I IOiiikI ;is ;i i hild raiclv
scc'iii to iiu- iiiiiisiKil, while iii;m\- ol fliose I li;i\e
learned t(i know well in later lite are |)osscssetl ol a
certain i)erinani'nt noveltw One o( these more
recent accinaintanees is the Irini^eil polv.Ljala.
Since I fonml it lor the first time a few years as^o,
sprin!;ini,r fresii and hail in its hntteiilv heanlv
above the dead leaves, it has been one ol the Ire-
(luent prizes ot my Mav pill^rinuij^es. \ vt I never
become aUo<;ether acciistonud to its delicate
charm. The exijcdition wdiich it bris^htens is
necessarily a snecess. Dnrinj^- a drive across some
lonely hills lyini; near the upper shores of the
"/■Vn/i;,,/ Ilnelson, the roadside was carpeted for miles by
the lender, just expanded leaves and dainty, [)ur-
plish-pink flowers of this little plant. I hatl never
seen it growini^ in such profusi(jn, yet neither
then nor later did it become a matter of cf)urse.
It is to he wished that the frini^ed polyj^aUi had
been blessed with a rrodfather more sensitive to
sound. Its English name lends itself to parody.
A lii2:ht-minded friend has christened it " frini^ed
polyi^amv." It is not unlikely that this title will
descend to posterity in that misi,^uided family.

To these hills which harbored so abundantly
the frin^^cd polynala I owe my first acquaintance
with the painted trillium. In describing the

62

f)o(rif.iiiiy"

PL*Te X

FOAM FLuWER

Tmri llti cnrilildlid

MAY NOTES

early Howers one needs to keep a ti-ht rein on
one's adjectives. At tin- season, not every ilower,
bnt pretty nearly every otlier ilower, is pos-
sessetl of a charm so individual, so convincing,
that for the moment \vc are inclined to yield it su-
premacy. 1 remember that this especial day the
pink-striped stars of the painted triUium shining
through the misty, ineffable green of the spring
woods, seemed to pale into momentary insigniti-
cance less conspicuous blossoms. They were
growing near a lake of considerable extent which
had fairly earned its title of " crooked." In and
out of the many bends of this lake I was walking
with the intention of making the complete circuit.
Till I found the painted trillium 1 had perse-
vered in my resolve not only to leave intact the
fresh perfection of the woods, but to keep my-
self unhampered for a ditricult tramp. But those
painted trilliums proved too much for me. In
their sudden presence every resolution dissolved.
I fell upon them as ruthlessly, as Hower-thirstily,
as though I had never bored my friends with dis-
sertations on loving the rose and leaving it on its
stalk. Many were the headless trillium stalks
which met my furtive eyes. But later they had
their revenge. The great, gay bi.nch proved a
growing burden. At last, in a shamed, stealthy
fashion, with something the sense as well as the

63

r.vntid
tnlhmn

to ICDIpij-

tion

%

ACCORDING I'O Si-.ASON

appcaianci- of one uhf) conceals the fruit of his
dark crime. 1 hid the (iroopinrr, recl<Iessiv ^^ath-
fivl blossoms beJMn,! a pile of dead undeVlmish,
conilortir,- nivself as best I could with a vacruc
and futile, ihou-h scat eel v niisleadin^:,^, assurance
that 1 mi,-ht re-;ain them latei".

Ihe Ma)- ilower-lunit is not always attended
with such interesting il not unusual discoveries
as frinn-ed jmly-alas and painted trilliums. But
even thoui,r|, the nei«;hborhood be comparative-
Iv unfamiliar or unpron)isin,i4-, usually we count
npon certain flowers. In low, moist places we
hnd, as we have found for more years tlian we
can rcmend)er. the purple or -reen-veincd cano-
pies of jack-in-the-pulpit. Probably side l^y side
we n.jtice these faithful companions, the true and
the false Solomon's seal, the former bearinjr its
greenish, somewhat fra-rant flowers in a terminal
plume, the latter with small, straw-colored bells
lian-int;- from the under side of its curved, leafy
stem, l-rccjuently in the same nei,^hborhood and
with a stron- family likeness -row one or both of
its kinsmen, the twisted stalks, one with pink, the
other with s:'-^'cmsh-white, bell-like flowers. An- '
other tanuliar member of this lily familv is the
liule McriaiU/ianum. This plant is without an
En,i;lish name, unless we accept the vague title,
applied, 1 find, indiscriminately to different plants'

64

MAY NOTES

of " wild lily of the valley." More noticeably a
lily than any of these others, is the CUntoiiia, an- Clmtonia
other plant as yet unnamed except by the bota-
nist. Its handsome, oblong leaves, large and
shining, and its clustered, lemon-colored flowers
abound in the cool, mountainous woods of the
North. Though I believe the plant grows as
far south as North Carolina, I say of the North
because in the woods of the Adirondacks and of
Maine 1 find it most abundantly. Frequently the
Clintonia does not live up to its possibilities, but
when it bears its full complement of leaves and
Howers, four leaves and seven (I believe) blos-
soms being the greatest number I have found on a
single plant, it is noticeably beautiful At such
a time in general effect it suggests the yellow
adder's tongue {Erythroniuni) which borders the
snow-fields and glaciers of the Canadian Rockies.
Manv other lovers of the deep northern woods
grow with the Clintonia. From its whorl of deli-
cate pointed leaves springs the pure blossom of the
star-flower. Frcquentlv the ground is carpeted
with the glossy tlircc-divided leaves and small
white flowers of the gold-thread, whose name Lovers of
we readily understand if we take up a handful of
the dark moist earth which is threaded with its
orange-color'^d roots. The pure inflorescence of
the bunch-berry borders the wood-paths and fills

thi! uoods

65

I

ACCORDING TO SI:AS0N

ilippir

many of the open spaces where the woods have
been cut or burned away. Often with its com-
panions, the Clintonia, twisted stalk, and Maian-
thcmum, it leaves the more inland woods, and
ventures far down on shaded rocky points that
jut into the sea.

It is not easy to say whether the pink lady's-
slippcr or Indian moccasin belongs more pro{)crly
to May or to June. According to the latitude and
Pinktadys- the year it may be found in flower at any time
Irom the middle of the earlier to the end of the
later month. Thoreau writes. " The first of June,
when the lady's-slipper and the wild pink have
come out in sunny places on the hill-side, then
the summer is begun according to the clock of
the seasons." But it seems to me to range itself
more naturally with the spring than with the
summer flowers, and in like manner to belong to
the northern woods. The natural background
for its striped, pinkish pouch, swinging balloon-
like from the tall stem which is guarded by two
broad, curving leaves, is the leafy red-brown car-
pet beneath the pines, hemlocks, and spruces.
Different and almost discordant as the purple
pink of the flcjwer might seem in combination
with the rich, reddish hue of the forest floor, yet
in reality the two shades not only harmonize, but
blend so perfectly that the flower, large and con-

66

PLATE XI

PAINTED TRILLIUM
'I'liUiHin I r'/'lif"i;irji'i/i,

I

MAY NOll'.S

spicuous thoui^h it is, frequently is overhiolcccl by
the passer-by. Uiuloubtcdiy tliis is due in part to
the reddish colorint; ol the narrow, wavini,^ sepals
and petals which in comparison to the great in-
flated lij) are inconspicuous parts of the flower.
Perhaps this is an example of the protective mimi- Prou-ctn-c
cry which may exist as well ni the vegetable as in
tnc animal world. The plant stands sorely in
need of some such device to shield it from the
attack of the omnipresent flower-picker. More
than once I have held my breath and looked the
other way while passing with a companion one
or more of these flowers. That they are appre-
ciated very generally and destructively is proved Ba,u of
by the fact that they are gathered m quantit'cs, ^
tied up in close, uncomfortable bunches, and s(^ld
from the carts that hll the open market-place
in xMbany on early May mornings. Occasionally
the flower loses its color and becomes either a
bleached or, very rarely, a jnirc white. Once only
I have found it cntirclv white with yellow-green
sepals and petals, and so tall stemmed and large-
leaved as to look like quite a different species.

The two yellow lady's-slippers, the larger and Yellow
the smaller species, are usually a few days later p^,^^
than the Indian moccasin. Gray assigns them to
" bogs and low woods," but 1 happen to have
found them only on rather dry, wooded hill-sides.

67

li

ACCOKDINC TO Sl.ASON

They :irc interesting: anrl prcttv plants, less (re-
qiieiilly liiet with than the pink si)ecies.

A May uieliid which i have not vet lound i^row-
iwj; in this pait ol the worhl is Ca/j'/'so /'onci/is.

Cihfs.' Thish)vi!y little plani is essentially northern, liav-
in-,^ Inen louiul, so tar as 1 know, only in Maine,
New 1 Iani[)shire antl \'erniont, of the New Eng-
lantl States. But early one June I had the good-
luck \i) see it tloweringon the lower slopes of the
Canatlian Rockies, though unlort unately the ma-
jority ol the blossoms ha<l been plucked from
the plants in order to decorate the tables of the
hotel dining-rooni at Banff. Its [)ouch, purple or
pinkish in color, shading below into yellow, and
tufted with yellow hairs, suggests a small lady's
slipi)cr.

The great, white, waxlike flower of the May-
a[)ple, which blooms at this season, is so beautiful
and so common that one hardly knows why it
does ncjt hold the place in our imagination to
which its good looks would seem to entitle it.

Mar-appL' The long-stemmed, glossy, umbrella-like leaves
which hide it from view till we push them aside
are sufiliciently striking and handsome to attract
our notice without any aid from the blossom.
Earlier in the month, bef(;re they began fairly to
open out, each one of these leaves looked as
though a finger were pushing up against it from

63

PLATE XII

FLOWER AND FRUIT OF
CNlitniiiil Iniridiis

I

MAY \(vn's

' ,i,k,,l uith tlu Kavc-. no, nulv .s

,ut tin- leaves

riiouuii a won.l-luvinix

^,,^,„,i, i. ,.„uM-,lH u,hai.i.an,nfw.>o>l-bonlers

t!>Hnntthe<leel.erl,.nsl. _ „,, ^11.1- (.7/,/-

wliile. il it i'^
it hidden e
lade alnii'^t ininie(li:itelv.

it hidden er.inelv ti-iu view

Anotlier Inver nt tlie .>l'^'"

\V(ll>(ls IS

in ('(il'ir,

„„-a„i,Mn. ■nMs,l...cvv.nc.^„-..ny^^ ^.^^^^

iltt.iiiiHin

hein.r v,p,,keu ot sonietnnes a^ u

:„l,™-swill. ^,^:.\o,lnr. ll s.tm-. Irnly

1)1 )rn

,U.- 1 ,lo nnt svmpathi/e with 1 ho-
to the inirple. 1 '1 > ' i i ^,,,,,,,, i„ i,s r.r//.- or

reau-s feelin- that .t ,s - loose .. Uoa.se m ^^^^^ ^
;^bif "too show V and, and V, like so,new<>nu.n
bon^ts." The hlue-eved,rass is another now r
'^"""^ , : 1 l,..in,r more nuil'le

„,,id, is ,K.,-l,:,,s ,nis„.„K.,l, 1.-'^ """;;"
„„„bU,c. nu. i.s li.lc is so ,.vtu n . .
|„r t'lc color .u.„.i,mc,i, so .|,,„-oiiu,lc, Uu I «c
Ld, overlook its inaccuracv. In ,r.ssv hdds
.,icc the ,l,ic.. close ,„ns , its ,lel,ca .
;.el.ow.ce„.re,l l,U.so,„s. Wl,e„ the sun .hsap-

ACCOKDINC. |() Sl.ASON

l-llf'IIU-

Canccr-
root

sl.KiJ,\ or

vetlou-

pears, or if iIk v :irc picked, the little "blue"
eves close.

A liowcr (il this '^(•;lsl)ll that mav lairl\- he dc-
scrilii'd ;i^ hhic is the hi|aiie. It ljidws iisuallv in
sandw SDineuhat i)|kii |p|ac(s. when- little else
iloiirishes, with l.m-, hri-lit cluste?s ot peadikc
blossoms that make.' the hillside seem a retlectioii
of Mav skies.

All odd and, with me, somewhat unusual little
pl.mt, wliieii may !)e found llowerinL; in damp
woods ,11 this season, is the cancer-root. It is a
parasite, living- on the roots of other plants, and
its leafless, lurid yi'llow stems are cruwne<l with
a rather prettv lavender-colored flower which rc-
sendiles a violet.

The dilferenl shades of yellow are abundant
now It is not easy to nnderstanil the spirit
which moved Wordsworth, that faithful celebrant
of the "unassuming- commonplace," to write

" III bef;ill the yellovv llowcrs
Cliiklren of the liarin^' hours."

The sprim; would lose sonicthin^^ of its joy if its
consummation were not blazoned in our conscious-
ness by the <;uld of the dandelions. Their lovely
constellations make a little heaven on earth of the
i,^rassy places that have been brown and bare for
months. The first ilaiidelions touch the hcart-

70

iW

MAY NOII.S

st^iIl.i,^s in imicli iIk' saiiu wav as .lo the carlv
notes I if tlic robin, tlicir hitsscd lainiliaril v iin-
|)rcssiiii; u-^ like a lia|)|>\- surprise.

Tlic sk'iidci- si rands (il llir litl Ic ( iiupu toil i ai pel
llic meadows and road-sides, its ili\ idcd leaves de-
Indin:; the aveiaL;-e passei by int. > the Ik iiil that ii
is a yeihiw-lhnvered wild-strawberry. In ninist
difclies we notice the llat-tii)[)( d ehisters ol the
early meadow-]);irsni]., sni,^^-estin!4 its kinship to
the wild-carrot of suininer. Certain meadows,
especially southward, are Hooded wilii deep or-
■Ai\<j;f. If we explore thetn we discDvcr tiie deep-
liued llower-heads, somewhat sii^-<;estini; dande-
lions, of the c:\tithia. Moie i^encrallv abundant,
perhaps, is the i,r,,ldcn rai^^wort, with much the
asjiect of a vcllow daisy. The various vellow
members ol the mustard family be<;in also to be
abundant. Most of these are coarse, rank-i^Mow-
uv.r ])Iants, but with llowers that in their prime
wear a pure and lovel) v II )W.

Of the native trees which flower in May, one
of the smallest, but periiaps the most beautiful, is
the doj^-wood. Its Hat. si»rea(lin>; branches look
as thouL;h laden with drifts ol snow. The in-
florescence of this tree is similar t(j that of its
little relation, the bunch-berrv, each apparent
flower consistini,M)f a close cluster of small j^reen-
ish blossoms, which are surrountled by pure

71

7 /';■ nius'
lurdi

ACCORDING TO SEASON

■Jiood

white, showy, pctal-likc' leaves. Occasionally
rwkdo^- these petal-like leaves arc pink. The only pink
dogwtjud 1 remember to have seen was j^rowin^^
in a lane near the Bronx River some years ago.
Whether it is still standing I do not know. Bnt
I shall always carry in my mind a pictnre of its
rosy loveliness as it tlcng its spreading ]. ink-
wreathed branches across the lane, feathery with
young green things and bordered with columbines,
bcllworts, wild-ginger, Dutchman's breeches, and
other flowering i)la-ns whose exact identity I do

not recall.

The wdiite clusters of the wild-clierry-trees
lighten the hill-sides. Alo g the country lanes
droop the slender racemes ot the choke-cherry.
Among the later maples to flower are the striped
and the mountain species. The mountain-maple
is a tall shrub, easily identitV-d by its erect clusters
of greenish flowers, which, later in the vear, are re-
placed by vivid pink-tinged fruit. The striped spe-
cies is a '^mall tree which owes its name to its light
bark, which is streaked with dark lines. It bears
its greenish flowers in loose, drooping racemes.
In some places it is known as "moose-wood."

Perhaps more actually decorative effects are se-
cured by the shrubs that flower in Mav than by
either the trees or the smaller plants. One of the
earliest of these is the red-berried elder, with its

(.hcrry

MjpU

PLATr. Xill

BUNLM btHHT

Ciirii>i> ' 'iiiiifl' 'i>iv

•-

f

MAY NOT IS

pyramidal masses ..f wlutc l,losson>s. Ah.n- the D^<oratne
lanes the thorns are eonspieuons. In their uliite,
round-petaUe'l ilowers with pink-tipped stamens
we see evidences ( ' dieir kinship to the apple-
blossoms. Deep in the woods, often thn.win-
its pictiirescpie, stra--lin,s:: branches across some
swift-rnshin- stream, we iuul the Hal clusters of
the hobble-bush.

The Lal)rador tea i- blossimin- in these ^amc
woods thou-h more abundantlv far northward,
as its name'in.lieates. The individnalitv of this Utrador
shrub is always interesting on account of the
leathery leaves which are heavily lined with rust-
colore(i wool, su-i^cstini,- ample i.rotcction a-ainst
cold and wet. On this hardy-lookinj^r pkuit it is a
surprise to tu.d the delicate, somewhat fra-rant

white blossoms.

Far less frequent than the white-flowered shrubs

in May arc those with colored blossoms. Vet
this is 'the month of the pink azalea, which c^rows
in ^reat tangles in the wet meadows, creepin- r,,J-J^^
with warm waves of color into every little bay
formed bv the dark promontories of the nei^dibor-
in- woods. A shrub nearly related to the azalea,
which I never foi-^d in flower till this year, is the
rhodora. For the t^rst time I was able to visit its
haunts early enou-h to see the brilliant butterfly-
blossoms, purplish-pink in color, almost blotting

73

ACCORDING TO SEASON

Birds of
.Uay

Su-atlou-s

Other
birds

out oi sit^ht the framework of the slinih. The
tiinll of exciteiiR-.it eaused by tliis experience was
iKjt due. perliaps, so much to my admiration of its
beauty or aj)preciation of its, to me, unusualncss,
as to tlie interest inspired by the flower which
had moved Emerson to write one of his loveliest
poems.

In Mav the birds become so numerous ♦hat it
would be impossible to describe any j,n-eat num-
ber of them in a book not devoted to the subject.
For many birds May is the most important month
of the year, for it is their time of nesting. Their
son<^ now approaches greatest perfection.

Early in the month it „Ap-esses the rapture of
courtship, later the joy of possession.

From swampy meadows come the gurgling
notes of the red-winged blackbirds, whose bright
shoulder-bars flash above the gleaming grasses.
The cat-bird mews witiiin the shrubbery tiiat
skirts the lawn. Under the eaves of the barn the
cliff-swallows take possession of their curious bot-
tle-like nests, which have done service from year
to year. The barn-swallows prefer to go inside
and build upon the rafters, while the tree-swalhnvs
look out for holes in trees and posts. On or near
the ground in swampy thickets the Maryland yel-
low-throat builds its nest, while from the forked
branch of some low tree the red-eyed vireo hangs
its cup-like cradle.

74

MAY NOTKS

May is the month of the oriole. In and out Birdof^^
ainon- the applc-blossoins and lilacs ^m.l other aiidg.v\ln
f,ray-tlo\vered i;arden iihrubs, rivalliiiiX, it not sur-
passing their brilliant colors, it flashes in its search
lor food and for material with which to build its
swinging home in the elm-tree. Its penetrating
whistle possesses much the same (luality for the
ear as its Hame-likc color does for the eye.

If the oriole is the bird of the orchard and gar-
den, the upland meadows belong to the bobolink.
All the joy of life these spring days is in its tuik-
lino-son"-. A rapture of abandonment, a veritable Bird of the
tintinabulation of glee, comes up to us Irom tnose „„j,io-..,
deep floods of grass and flowers. When in his
wedding-coat of black and white, I know no such
interpreter of pure lightheartedness as the bobo-
link. Once this is laid aside, he seems to feel " the
heavy ano the weary weight," like the rest of us.

The wood-thrush is the bird of the May woods, l^'rdj^tbe
Early in the month I hear for the first time his
serene, hymn-like notes. However commonplace
my actual surroundings may be, instantly I am

transported to

" some melodious plot
Of beeches green and shadows numberless,"

and my whole being i^ permeated with the spirit
of perfect serenity, of which this song is the
apotheosis.

75

'uooJs

VII

Ttr "

"THE LEAFY MONTH OF JUNE

Now is ihe high-title of the yeir.

And wiiatcver of life hath r'l bed away
Comes tlu'idinc back with a ripply cheer

Into everj* bare inlet and ctcjIc and bay

— Lowell

VII

"THE LEAFY MONTH OF JUNE"

When Coleridge called this

" —the leafy nionili of June,"

it seems to me that he struck the note of the iirst
Slimmer month more distinctly than our own Bry-
ant, who wrote of " flowery June." June is, above -^I'^^'lf^^
all things, " leafy," seeming chiefly to concentrate
her energies on her foliage; for although she
really is not lacking in flowers, they are almost
swamped in the great green flood which has swept
silently but irresistibly across the land. At times
one loses sight of them altogether, and fancies that
a sort of reaction has set in after that

" — festival
Of breaking bud and scented breath "

which enchained our senses a few weeks since.

But the sight of a clover-field alone sufTices to
dispel the thought. There is no suggestion of ex-
haustion in the close, sweet-scented, wholcsoine
heads which are nodding over whole acres of land.

7>J

ACCORDINd lO SI ASON

Clover

As<,ccia ■
tion

"Sdiitli winds lostic tnem,
I'liimhlc -Ih'cs cQinc,
llovtT, liL'sitalc,
Uriiik, and arc i,'onc, '

sinj^s Emily Dickinson, wlio flscwhcrc calls the

cluvcr the

— " tlower th.it bees prefer

Ami butterllies desire."

Indeed, aitlionj^ii this is luA a native blossom, it
seems to have tai<en a special hold on the iina<j-
ination of our poets. Mr. James Whitcomb Riley
asks,

— " what is the Hly and all of the rest
Of the tlowers to a man with a heart in his breast,
That was dipped liriiiiinin' full of the honey and dew
Of the sweet clover-blossoms his babyhood knew ? "

It is generally acknowledged that our sense of
smell is so intimately connected with cnir powers
of memory that odors serve to recall, with pecul-
iar vividness, the particular scenes with which
they are associated. Many of us have been startled
by some swiftly borne, perhaps unrecognized fra-
grance, which, inr a lirief instant, has forcibly ])ro-
jected us into the past ; and I can imagine that
a sensitively organized individual— and surclv the
poet is the outcome of a peculiarly sensitive and
highly developed organization — might be carried
back, with the strong scent of the clover- field, to

80

"I 111, l.l.AI'V MONTH ()!■ J LIN I,"

the (la\s w licii its hic.itli was a suniciciit joy and
its limits harii'd mit all possihilit v n\ disaster.

If we [iluLk li'oiii {\\v i(iuii(lc'(l IkmiIs our tiiiv
flower aiul cxaniiiic it with a iiias;nil viiij,^-<i;lass
we sec tl'iit it lias somewhat the biittertly slia(>c
of its kinsman, the sweet-pea of the j^ardeii.
Wc remembtf that aschildien we followed the
bee's example and sucked from its slender tube
the nectar; and we conclude that the combined hned vt^-
presence of irreL;ularit y of form, nectar, vivid '''"^^
colorinijj, and Irai^rance iiulicates a need of insect
visitors for the exchanij^e of ])ollen and consc-
(|uent setting of seed, as Nature never expends so
much effort without some clear end in view.

As an instance of the strani^e " web of complex
relations," to quote Darwin, which binds to-
gether the various forms of life, I recall a state-
ment, which created some amusement at a meet- Ptuk cio-
ing of the English Royal Agricultural Society. '^'"' ^'"-^ "'^
to the effect that the growth of pink clover de-
pended largely on the proxiinitv of old women.
The speaker argued that old women kept cats;
cats killed mice ; mice were prone to destroy the
nests of the bnmlilc-bces, which alone were fitted,
owing to the length of their probosces, to fer-
tilize the blossoms of the clover. Consequently, a
good supply of clover depended on an abundance
of old women.

8i

uomen

ACCORDING TO Sl.ASON

'l*hc little \(llou lni|i-t lovir lias just hri^iiii to

.1 ion:iih'u iiiaki' its .i|i| icar.imc in the ^aiidv licldsainl aluii^

rarity . , ■ , y , , i • i

till' i<)a<i shIc^. .\ltli(>iii;li u is vci v coinmim, and

ill spite (il its i^eiKial icscmblaiici', bnlii in leal
ami tloucr, tn tin- citlui' il"\iis, it siriiis to \>c
ic'coL^iii/id l)Ut si'ldoiii. I lia\ f km iwii |)ci)|)ictij
gather it with uiictioii and send it to scmic dis-
tant Ixttanical triciid as a rarity.

One niDiniiiL;' last fall I loiind a (juantitv of
bliiod-rcd clo\ CI -heads by the road-side. As 1
/I u,~iv ac- was ^,^'ltller■ini^^ a lew — iieviT before ha\ iiii; seen
tins species, 1 was conlident-- a uoiiian came out.
Irom the ncii^iiborini:^ farm-house to tell mc that
her husband h, I planti'd his clovir-seed, as usual,
the previous spring-, and had been much amazed
at the apjearance of this llaminL;- crop. She was
eaijer to know if I could tell h'T what sort of
cUn-er it was that yielded these i. ' l)lossoms.

A careful search throuijjh niy"(./ra\ '♦ mc

cpiite in the dark. I-Aery [)lant-lover ku the

sense of defeat that comes with the acknowledi^-
Hv uicii> .;iat \iMi iMiinot place a flower, and will

iJ.uiiji,-J sympatiuze with the satisfaction which i experi-
enced a few days later when, w idle reading in
one of Mr. Burroui^hs's books an account of a
country walk in Kiii^land, 1 found a description
of Trjfoliiiui iiuariiatuiii, a cloycr common on the
other side, but comparatively recently kixjwn

82

|l

PkATC XIV

Cnlyp^n hnrfnlh

Il

"IHK IJAFY MONTH OF JIJXF,"

here, that cxactlv l.illicd nitli the appearance o-
the sfrai)i;ei- which hv --nmv chance had h)un(l it .
way to the (li)iirvar>l of the Coniiecticut farmer.

It is in tlir June ;4"rass that tlie t)iittcix'U] '■■ and
daisies open tlicir eves and lake iheii" tiist look at Ihtttncups
tne new year. BUie-ilays still lill their stately
heads alon<^ the water-courses, and the blossoms
of the bhie-eved ijjrass are now so lari;e and
abnndant that they seem to lloat like a ih)od of
color on the tops of the Iohl;' i^rasses. in the wet
meadows, at least, the blues now predominate,
rather than the yellows. 'J"he only yellow Ihjwer
that seems to be abundant amoni; the flairs and
bhie-eyes is a daydiloominLi^ sj)ecies of tlK eyen-
in<r [)rimrose, with delicate, lour-petalled Howers
scattered about the upper part of the slender
stems.

It is Richard Jeffries who hnds fault with the
artists for the prufuseness with whicii they scat- FuUjloui-
tered flowers upon their canyases; but, for my-
self, I recall lU) painted meadow more thickly
strewn with blossoms than the actual orie which
stretches befoie me. It seems to me that the
fault to-day lies more in the (pialily of the paint-
ing than in the quantity of the lh)wers.

It is in the face of modern tradition that one
wishes to sec these indicatetl with >omc fidelity
and tenderness; yet 1 camiot but fee! that the old

83

ACCORDING IX) SKASON

Iralians~Fra Antjclico, for cxam])U' — ran<x1it l>ct-
FuLhof \cv the spirit i tlic ticUls of Piiradi^*' when they
t\v.uh>c staireil ihi'iii with separate, fjcni-like !l wers, than
ch) mir itKxkrii men that of our owi inea.dows,
uhieh thev (ia^h with i-eekless sphishes of color,
expecting- the leafless, steinless blotehes to do
dutv \'>y the most excjuisitely tinted and deli-
catelv modelled ol Xaturc's products. And I
think tliat one recalls more vividlv in the <;al-
leri(.'s ol I'lorcnce than in those of iMlly-seventh
Strec-t the near elTect of the ilower-span^led
fields whith border our Hudson.

A ilowerof the June fields snmewhat infrctiuent
in my cxpirience is the jiainted cup. Tiiis plant
Pjiut^J owes its effectiveness, not to the blossom-^, which,
•^"^ |vile yellow in color, are rather small and incon-

spicumis. l)Ut ti) the scarlet leaves by which they
are surrounded. It is one of the 'plants which love
to i^row in masses. The sensation on seciiiir for
the first time a sunlit meadow patched with these
intenselv colored leaves is not soon for(,n)tten. I
alwavs associate the ]iainted cup with the soni;: of
the liobolink. The lirst lime 1 ever met with it.
the sweet mornini; air was alive with the lia[)py
tinkle of these birds. Their l)lack and white coats
flashed in the sunshine and hovered above or dis-
appeared beneath the i;listenintj (grasses and gay
flowers of the surrounding meadow.

84

PLATE XV

BLUt FLAG
lilt I'l r!<ir'ii!i'r

•'THl', Ll'.AKV MONl'll Ol- JIM."

In the woo.ls ..f jimc no family i^ more con-
sciously or con^picuou^lv rcprcstuUd than the Ih-Jtks
heaths. The small, bcll-like waxen hlnvsoms,
white, pink, or actuallv ie<l, o! the various hlue-
berries and huckleberries appear early in the
month. In the mount.ains and .ih.iii; the New
England coast we Hnd in llower at this iimc a
sin-ularly attractive little i>lant. the mountain-
cranberry. Its blos'^om resembles those (^f the

blueberry i^n^np '"<"'^' <-i'J^^'ly '''^'-^ ^^ ^''"-'^ ^''^
flowers of the (Jther cranberries, beini; bell-shaped
and wax-like. It is a creepiu- plant and its rose-
colored blossoms, ixrowin-- in close clusters, nestle
amon^r the dark, sliinin- ever-reen leaves udiich
carpet the rocky ledj;es near the sea or cover dain-
tily the stones which rise ui> in the wood-path.
It seems to me a much more peitect and pictn-
restine plant than its relative, the trailin.<; arbutus,
but its tlowers lack the rare fia-rance of the latter.
The other cranberries, the small and tlic large,
blossom later in the month, lasting sometimes Crauher-
well into Jtdy. Their pale-pini; Howcrs nod from ""
erect, thread-like stem'^ among the slender grasses
and delicate, moisture -loving plants of the i>eat
bogs. The rellexed petals and protruding comd-
vcnt stamens oi these Wossoms suggest somewhat
the shooting-star of our western wood? as well as
its larger kinsman, the European cyclamen. The

un-

ACCORDING TO SKASON

,'t, J pyiold

ii

leaves of both species arc small and e\erL::reen,
soiiicwliat. similar to those <.A the nioiintain-i i aii-
bei TV.

A siiiL^ularlv attractive little plant heloii^-int,^ to
this heath tribe is the oiie-llouered pyrola. its
actual name, Moiuscs :^raiidi flora, is more suij:i;cs-
tivc of its iicculiar charm. Not only is the white,
waxen tlower that tli-ooi)S from the tip of a slen-
der stem strikinj^ly laii^^e in projiortion to the
hci,L,dit of the plant, which does not exceed, if it
reaches, three or four inches, and tf) the size of the
rounded leaves, wiiich aie clustered justabovcthc
"•round, but its daintv irrace warrants the euthusi-
asm indicated by the generic name, which signifies
"single delight."' Then, too the i)lant's intrinsic
charm is not lessened by its choice of surround-
ings. In the dense shade of the evergreen forest,
Avhcre we hardly expect t(^ find any plants in
il(.\\'er, little companies of these 5)ure blossoms
nod above the red-brown, leaf-strewn floor.

Nearlv related to Moiuscs are the actual pyro-
las, lily-of-the-valley-like phuUs, which we find
hanging out their pretty, waxen bells along tlie
andp,psxs- ^i^.j(i(_.(i road-side, as well as in the deeper woods.
The two most attractive members of the group, at
least in my experience, are the larniliar shin-leaf,
and the round-leaved species, the latter easily rec-
ognized by its leathery, shining foliage. In these

86

PrroLn

"THE I.l'.AFY MON rH OF JUNE"

two species the Ioiil,^, curved pistil which protrudes
from the tloweis easily distinguishes them from
their cousin the pi[)sisse\va. This latter plant
we can rcco<;nize by means ot the violet-colored
anthers of its frai^rant ilowers, and by its glossy,
evergreeti leaves.

No other heaths do so much for the general
re[>utalio:i oi the family as the laurels and rhodo-
tlendrons. The mountain-laurel reaches perfec-
tion during the latter half of June. Where it
grows, the wood-openings lof)k likcgiTat drifts of
snow, the snow of an Alpine dawn, for often in
sunny places the flowers of the mountain-laurel
arc pure rose-color, though in the deeper woods
they are white.

The thick, glossy leaves form an effective back-
ground to the dense clusters of wholesome-looking
flowers. Perhaps the firm, fluted, pink-tinged
buds arc even prettier than the blossoms. Pick a
freshly opened cluster and observe that each of
the ten little bags of pollen is caught in a separate
depression of the wdieel-shaped corolla. Brush
the flower, lightly but quickly, with your finger
or a twig, and vou see that the bags are dislodged
by the jar with such force that your linger is
thickly dusted with pollen, and you understand
how the visiting bee unconsciously transmits the
precious grains from flower to flower.

87

Mi'mitjiii-
taitrct

//5 fcriili'
ration

ACCOkDlNCi TO SKASON

liioit

nl

|l

Perhaps the wax-like, delicately spotted tloweis
of the ih()(h)deiidr()ii are even handsomer than

Rhodo.ln- those of tlie laurel, Init in our northern hititude
thcv are far less abundant and nuich less luxuriant
in their manner of t;ro tii.

Often in company with the mountain 'aurel and
the rhododendron, but commonly in less exclusive

Shf.f-ljH- haunts, \vc find the sheep-laurel or lambkill, a
somewhat stras^gling little shrub with pale, nar-
rowly oblong leaves and clusters of pink or red-
dish blossoms. They are fiesli, vigorous-looking
Howers, specially effective when massed against
the gray rocks of the seashore, aincjng clumps of
bay-berry and wild-rose bushes.

An interesting flower, due in early June, is the
Arethusa, one of the orchid family. Its usual
home is a cranbcrrv-swamp, and the ones 1 have
had the good-fortune to find were growing near
groups of young larches, for whose companionship
I believe they are known to have a special liking.
The blossom has been described as " crystalline
/^rdhusa purple." It crowns a slender stalk which bears
below a single grass-like leaf. The narrow sepals
and petals arch above the petal-like columns. The
dilated lip is yellow-bearded. The flower has a
startled, alert look, as though it were pricking its
delicate ears in alarm at some rude intrusion.
That I have not detected the fragrance which is

88

r. ATr XVI

V 1

>r

'>

M

CANCEH ROOT
. \ iilil/llnii iniill ,riill

"IHi: LI AKV MONTH ()l< JUM."

said to bi-loiii,^ lo tlic Aieflmsa may be owintc
oiilv to in\ taidiiuss, [or I liavt' iK'Vfr foiiiul licr
till some tiiiu' alter lici" U\i;itiiuatc' hlossomiiif^
season. riic renioteiuss of lut haunts lias put
licr usually out oi ni\ reach, a.i.l sh- still rcMuaiiis
an incentive to i^rcatcr punctuality . •.xt year, and
;i stimulant to the ca,<;erness aroused by each ap-
proachiuij^ sprins:^.

Another of the many fascinatini; inhabitants of
the cranl)err\-s\vami»s is the iiitcher-plaut. in Pitdvr-
Maine 1 found it in i^reat (]uaiitities buddinjj^ and
in full bloom (Mi June 14th of this year, which
means that farther south it was due one or t vvo
weeks earlier. At this time all the tlowcrs were
haui^iiii,^ their heads, showing only the lower sur-
faces of their sepals, "a shiny leather-red or
brown-red" in color, " lookiu^^ as if newly
varnished, very rich and j)kasa!it to the eye,"
writes Thoreau. When examined more closely,
the inside of the sepals are seen to be green. The
petals are red and extremely delicate in texture,
suggesting " a great, dull-red rose." At this early
stage of the plant's dcvelo{)ment the oidy mature
leaves seem to be those left over from the pre-
vious year, looking rusty and worn outside, but
perfectly water-tight, filled to the brim with water
in which float the bodies of many drowned in-
sects.

89

fpr-

ACCORDING lO SI'.ASON

Allh

Mimi\ it niav

IduikI (liiimL^

thr til-'

II I \

tit this iiiniit h I >i

IllK'

bcloiii^s, 1 t

.;ii-t

1 1 1 1 1

Sbovr tlicinost i\'l,mI ol mir oicliiils, tin- showy hnly's-
ljvs-,ip- ^]jjj||j^.,._ Its hivoritf tioiiH' is :i soiiKU li;it sliadcd
pral-lioi;-. line the -nat, k-afy-slcmiiicd iilaiil.s,
with tliiii lii\(ly pink and while shclMila- ih)wcrs,
seem to leaeii their lulhst (hv(do|>nient. There
is s»)iiu'thini,^ ahnost tropical in their hivish, hixuri-
ant beauty. I'.ntunately tlieir clioseii liaunis arc
usually somewhat inaecessihie, so, despite the
threat huiuhes whieh are exhibited lor sale by
ener.i^etic [armers' boys at New lai^land inns and
counlrv houses, there is still lensdii to hope that
tiiey will not be completely exteiniinated.

One ol the smallest and loviliest ot tlu' wood-
loving plants of June is the twin-tlowers IJmicca
borvalis, the tiny

— " monument of the man of tlowcrs."

Often as I stroll alon<^ the wood-jjath, my body
onl V under the t rees, perhaps, my thoui^hts wander-
ing^ elsewdiere, 1 am recalled to myself by a fresh.
penetratinL,^ odor, and 1 sec; the carpet of small,
rounded leaves and thread-like h)ikinj; stems
which arc hunt; with the pink-vein d sister-blos-
soms. The twin-flower shares the faculty pos-
sessed l)y Moiuses of choosin-; attractive surround-
inors. It likes to cover the mossv banks ui shaded

90

"TllK Ll.Ai'Y MONTH Oh JIM/

,u, iiiiihi-r-

Streams ;iiul to fill flu- IimIIows (oriiud by the
great roots ol I lie toirst litt^. The most scciucs-
tcrcd nooks \vc cluuicc upon in our cNploriitiotis
oi the northern woods in Jniu' aic likrly to be
ailonied bv the pink belK of the l.ntuua.

Another woodphint, a btth' h'^s lii^tidious, per-
haps, in its ( hoice ol U)eably, is \\\v I ndian cucum-
ber-root, or Midtoltt. This is rather an unusual-
looking^ plant, delicate and graceful, w ith small
preen or yellowish, blylike flowers which dimip
frmn the summit of a '-lender sl( in. I)ii(( tl\ be-
neath the flower-cluster i;i-ows a whorl ol ovate,
pointed leaves; still farther down, the stem is
a<;ain encircled by another whorl consisting of
more and iari^er leaves. The plant is less effective
now than later in the summer, when its erect,
purple berries and ^ayly painted leaves are sure to
attract the eye. I have never tasted the tuberous
root, which is said to have a cucumber-like llavor
and to have been used as foofl by the Indians.

Even in midwinter we can 140 i i the woods,
and. brushinpf away the snow bom about the roots Partridge
of some old tree, Imd the shininL,^ white-vc ined
leaves and coral-like berriesof the partrid.ii^e-vine.
But this is the season when we should make a
special pils^rimage to some dim retreat wliic h is
pervaded with the fragance of its lovely white or
pinkish twin blossoms.

9»

ACrORDlNG TO SEASON

lyood-

scrrcl

Rela-
tions

Srlf-av!-
■icioHsness

II

Among fallen, nioss-j^rown tree-trunks \vc find
tiic clover-like Icallets rind pink-veined llowcrs of
the true wood-sorrel. I tiese flowers are strikini^l}-
large in proportion to the rest of the plant. The
pale green foliage is singularly fresh and delicate.
One is not surj»iised to learn that it was a favorite
plant of the old Italian painters, and that its dainty
symmetry appealed especially to Fra Angelico.

So frecpient and enchanting are t'le revelations
which await us these days that, to the man or
won, ;n with unl)U'"(lcned minil and enlightened
vision, a country ramljle is one of the most ]>erfect
of I'leasures. Then there are days when the odor-
laden winds seein to have some narcotic power,
lulling to inertia all energy and ambition ; days
when the drowsil)' witnessed voyage of a butter-
tlv, or the half-heard song of a wood-thrush, or
even the dreamy consciousness of the rhvthmical
development of life about us — the measured suc-
cession of bud, flower, and fruit — seems a sufficient
end in itself.

It is easier to resist this influence if we keep to
the road. Once we are led away bv some wdnd-
ing pretence of a path, each leafy curve of which
is more enticing than the last, we are apt to yield
ourselves to the simple charm of being. But on
the road \vc are more practical, more self-con-
scious. We cease enl irely to be self-conscious only

92

"THE Ll'AFY MONTH OK JUNK"

yihiir-
i'miis jiid

when there is no chance of human interruption.
On tlic road a farni-\vai^on may overtake us at
any moment, and we feel that, to the bovine mind,
even the foolish occupation of pickint^ Howers
seems more intellij^cnt than the abandonment of
one's self to jov in the blue ol the sky or in the
breath of summer.

Among the shrubs which flower in June, the vi-
Iiurnums and the dogwoods are noticeable. Tin
somewhat flat ilowcr-clusters of the viburnums are
made up of small, white, five-lobed blossoms, the
little flowers ol the superlicially similar dogwoods
consisting of four petals. The leaves of most of
the viburnums are more or less cons[)icuously
toothed, while those of t!ie dogwoods are entire.
The withe-rod, / ". c-assinoidis, a shrub which I
find growing abundantly along the coast and in
the woods of northern New England, is an ex-
ception to this rule, its thick, smocjth, ovate or
oblong leaves being toothed only very little or
not at all.

Along grassv lanes the wild-grape swings its
gracefid festoons. The air is heavy with the sweet (jimHi:!;

and litu-

breath of its greenish Mowers. Near by twist the
prickly stems, shining ornamental leaves, and
greenish blossoms of the cat-brier. The carrion-
vine, too, sends forth its delicate young shoots,
but ihe foul odor of its dull, clustered bloss(jms,

93

tili! plJiita

ACCORDING TO SKASON

['oi\oii-i:r

RjttJt-

snaki -ji'i
ami toost

Tk- roaJ-
side

whicli has attracted all the carrion-likini,^ flies in
the neighborhood, drives us hurriedly trom its

vicinity.

Over the rocks and about the trunks and close
branches ol slim ceuars twine the stout stems and
ghjssy leaves ol the poison-ivy. U we are wise, we
tarry here no longer than by the carrion-vine, for
the small white flowers, now fully open, are said
to give torth peculiarly poisonous emanations.

Flat rosettes of puiplc-veined leaves and tall
clusters of dandelion-like flower-heads abound by
the dusty highway. The striped leaves suggested
the markings ol the rattlesnake to some imagina-
tive mind, and so the plant has been dubbed
"rattlesnake weed," and the superstitious have
used it as a cure for the bites of the rattlesnake.
Narrow leaves and pretty, spotted flowers on hair-
like stalks grow in many circles about the slender
stems ol the yellow loosestrife.

The blackberry vines wreathe everything with-
in reach with their graceful branches and large,
delicate flowers. The slender, light-blue clusters
of the larger skull 'ap are beginning to be notice-
able. Through the grasses glistens the wet scarlet
of wild-strawberries. In the thicket are shrubs,
whose green buds are still too firmly closed for us
to guess their names, unless we chance to recog-
nize their leaves. There is always something to

94

*'THE LEAFY MOx\TH OF JUNK"

look forward to — somcthintj to come back for —
even aloui;- the road side.

June divides with May the honors of the sonj^
and nesting- season. If we admit that June has
fewer nests, we are inclined to ckiim for her more Song anJ
songs. Ahnost any early morning in June the Za'on
neighborhood of a garden, orchard, or field will
supply us with a bird concert of great beauty
and variety. Of course, the quality of the indi-
vidual singers is largely governed by the latitude.
In the neighborhood of Albany, for example, be-
sides those birds already mentioned, I expect to
hear the warbling of yellow-throated vireos, of the
grosbeak, scarlet tanager, indigo-bird, gold-finch,
and redstart, of the black-throated green, yellow,
and other warblers. In the mountains and far-
ther north (1 am thinking especially of the Maine
coast) two of the thrushes, the olive-backed and
the Iiermit, are noticeable. The song of the olive- Oike-
backed thrush varies greatly. At times it is really 'l^,^^^^
melodious, but it has a throaty quality which
detracts from its charm. It lacks the purity and
sweetness so striking in the songs of the wood
and hermit thrushes. It is longer, less interrupted,
and less definite in its phrasing than these other
songs. Indeed, it hardly seems to me a song at
all ; more actually a fairly melodious outburst of
emotion. The bird is usually a trifle smaller than

95

ACCORDING TO SKASON

Hermit-
thrush

the wood-lhrush and equally lar-cr than the
hermit. Us olive-brown head, bill, and tail, and
its unspotted throat help to identify it.

The song ol the hermit-thrush is a marvel of
sweetness and spirituality, with the hymn-like
(luality so noticeable in that of tlie wood-thrush.
Uut it is much shorter, and less of an actual son-
than one would suppose from the usual descrip-
tions. Commonlv 1 hear it repeated twice with a
very brief interval .)! time, in different keys, the
second his/her than the first. After a lon-er inter-
val the repetition takes place again, and continues
indefinitely. B.jth birds belong to the deeper
woods, their songs read --ig one from some
shadowy seclusion where they can be traced with

difficulty.

One of the attractive possibilities of a wood-
PartrU^cs walk in June is the flushing of a covey of partridges.
The thrill of excitement as the whirr, of their
wings strikes our ears is enhanced by the probable
dash of the mother-bird across our path, with
trailing wing and everv appearance of serious
injury, in the effort, usually successful, to distract
,nu- attention from the young chicks, which scurry
away in another direction. The brown and white
markings of these birds blend so perfectly with
the leaf"-strcwn, sun-flecked groun.l, and with the
brown twigs and tree-trunks, that were it not

96

!

PL^^TL XVII

I iJ
J (J

PINK AZALEA
lUi'iilniiiu'lruii iimlif/ornrt)

"THK LF.AFY MONIH OF JUNK"

for their panic \vc would liaiclly iliscovcr llicir
proximity.

Hut tlie June woods arc full of possibilities in
every direction. .\ soni; till now unheard, a new Posiihiii-
nest, a rare ilower. are only a few ol tlu; many
rewards we may liope lo win if we arc patient and
loving seekers.

97

VIII

A LONG ISLAND MEADOW

O nnesTranged bird^ antl hces*
O iJtc ut iialtirt; always tria- I

— LoUKl.L

VIII
A LONG ISLAND MEADOW

Its ciitniacc- is barred by lichcn-covcrcd rails. T/v .■.;-
Close by, a tall w illow stands sentinel. The fenee
beyond is almost hidden by a thicket of wild-
roses and elder-bushes. A<;ainst the bars crowds
a host ot •• weeil> " — burdock, wild-carrot, ele-
campane, and sorrel. But one feels that these are
interlcjpers and have little in common with the
more retirini; inhabitants of the meadow which
lies fresh and i^listeninLC in the sunli<;ht, swayin<^
with every breath of wind, darkenin.L^ with each
cloud that lloats overhead, unt racked and tcmpt-
in<'-. We need onlv to jjlance at such a meadow

as this— and there are hundreds like it alon<; our A muua-

. . , tun -d 01 LI

coast— to ijjuess that it will be many days betore

its treasures are even half discovered. It is a

miniature world, with i^rassy uplands and cjuak-

\n^ bogs, with stretches of water and wooded

islands. Each part of this little world has its

ii. dividual secrets to reveal, its own wealth of

piant and animal life.

Beyond the invading weeds is a thick growth

lOI

ACCORDING TO SI ASON

R'\vjt fern

of r.'miiiiiiiin ferns wliiili do not sccMu iKqijiy in
tlicii" siiirouiiilinj^s. a lact accountfd (or when we
CimiMium- noli( c tliat luic the niea(h>w is a div inarsii, not
■ '^"* atfoidiii'.^ liic ferns sulliLieiil nouiishiiient fortlieir

full development. Tiiey iiohl themselves rij^id
and eie( f and are (|uite \\itliont the j:;racc and
stateliness for which usii illy they are consiiicu-
ons. The woolly - stemmed, cinnatnon - colored
fruit-clu-ters which sprin*,^ from the centre of the
l)lant are n)w withered and either clin^ to the
stalk's of the L,Meen troiids or lie up ui the ij^ioiind.

Scattered aiuonLT the c innamon-lerns are clus-
ters of the nn'.'d lern. a kinsman that appears
e<piallv ill at ease. Its stature is stunted and its
uncoir;>romi ;inL; air fails to suLrt::est the bearing
which won for it tuc title ol ro\al fern.

The interrupted fern, the oilier member of
what is. perhaps, oui most distinj^ui.^h'"''' srroun
of native ivrns, the osmundas, <^rows back aj^ainst
the fence. It seems somewhat less aflcctcd by
its environment, although the erect fronds which
fruit half way up the midrib, set, as it were, in
a vase formed by the shorter, outward-curving-,
sterile fronds, arc less noticeable for their height
than when found under conditions more to their
liking.

High above these dwarfcfl representatives of
a royal family shoot the tall white wands of the

1 02

Inter-

riif'teA

fern

FLATE XVII

CcJTrON-GHAbb

/.■,,„;./-

yi/c mm I in/i nii

II iiifil ]'. i/riii'ih

A LONG ISLAND MKADOW

colic-root. At the first r^lancc, one uiifamiliar
with this plant mi^ht confuse its long clusters
with the twisted spikes of the ladies' tresses. A
closer examination would reveal no likeness be- Colk-root
tween the flower of the orchid and the six-
lobed blossom of the colic-root, with its six
stamens, its three-cleft pistil, and its look of beings
dusted with white meal. Then, too, the flat ro-
sette of lance-shaped leaves from which springs
the white wand of Howeis, is peculiar to this plant.

Over the moss which carpets this ferny upland
the running swamp-blackberry trails its reddish Rmming
stems, with their smooth, thick leaves and its ber- l)^'"kll.yiy
ries still green. Here and there we find its white
blossom. It i- a decorative plant and one is
tempted to cai.y home certain long, lithe strands
which bear at the same time flowers and fruit.

Now the land slopes downward. The grasses
and sedges wear that rich green which warns us
to look out for a swamp. It is not easy to be
cautious, for suddenly we get a glimpse of some
vivid purplish-pink flowers which grow in singu-
larly airy clusters on a slender stem. An orcliid
is always a" find," and we recognize with delight
one of our most radiant orchids, the grass-pink or Grass-
calopogon, which is fairly illuminating this part
of the meadow with its countless blossoms.

The grasF , 'iik differs from other members of

103

pink

ACCORDING TO SEASON

its family in t!i:it the li|), with i.s bcaid ol white,
yellow, and pin-jilc hairs, stands on the upper
Pcniiianty instead of on the lower side of the flower. This
orchid peculiarity it owes lo the fact that its ovary has
not the twist habitual to orchids. Despite the
difference of position in that part of the flower
which is specially <A< si<;ncd to attract insects, the
j;rass-pink is as well tilted as its sisters to secure
cross-fertilization, as a careful study of its inter-
nal structure will {):-ovc.

Here the meadow becomes a bofi^. High rub-
ber b(;(;ts are necessary as a protection from the
water and black mud in which they sink so deep
In the hog that it is a question as to how long they will be
of any service. The grasses grow tall and rank
and gleaming. Pools of black water alternate
with little islands where the marsh shield-fern
holds itself well out of the wet, its segments
growing high up on the stem as though trying to
keep dry under discouraging condaions. II you
pick one of its delicate fronds (if you liappen to
be an observer of ferns) you are struck with its
resemblance to another fern which abounds along
the road-side, but which differs from this in that
its lowest segments grow gradually verv much
shorter, so that its frond really tai)ers both ways
from the middle, wiiiie here the tapering at the
lower part of the frond is very slight. Then, too.

M.v sh
ikicld-fcrn

A LONG ISLAND MKADOW

you observe that in this fcni the stalk is usually
longer than the rest of the Irond, and that in cer-
tain cases the seij^ments have a curled-over ap-
pearance, partially accounted for when you dis-
cover that these curleil-over ferns bear on their
backs the little round fruit-dots which are not
found on the other flatter fronds. Once 3-ou are
familiar with these distinguishinj^ traits of the
marsh shield-fern, you are not likely to confuse
it with its equally ubiquitous kinsman, the New
York shield-fern.

In and out among the ferns creep the cranberry- Crjnber-
vines. An occasional rose-pink, four-cleft bios- "'^
som still nods from an erect, leafy stem, although
everywhere hang the green berries, some of tliciu
already with sunburned cheeks.

Here, too, we find that rarely lovely orchid,
the adder's mouth. The olant itself is smaller Adhr's
than that of the grass-pink, bui the rose-colored, """' '
fragrant flower which usually nods alone from
the summit of the stem is quite as large as are
the blossoms of its neighbor.

Far beneath the silvery pennons of the cotton-
grass, down in the black mud, perhaps in the /Vo:. r-. ,/
water itself, grows a curious, pretty little plant, ""•"'"'^'
the round-leaved sundew, with its rosette of glis-
tening, red-haired leaves and its unfolding crosier
of flower-buds, which open one at a time, and then

los

ACCORDING TO SEASON

only in the suiili,t;ht, disj)layinf^ a small, white,
iive-pctalied blossom.

The black bon^-land is fairly carpeted with this
L:msof plant, which irives a jewelled look to the iinder-
world ot the meadow. It is but slii^htly fastened
in the moist earth, and it is worth our while to
uproot it and make a study of its delicately
spanijled leaves.

These are nearly round, narrowing soiiiv vhat
abruptly into the flat stems. Each leaf bears a
multitude of small red hairs, as many at times as
two hundred to a leaf. These hairs are tipped
with what seem to be tiny dew-drops, but which
are in reality particles of a sticky fluid exuded by
the hairs for the purpose of capt: ring insects.

The young leaves are rolled in the bud, or
partially unrolled after the fashion of young fern
fronds. Others arc fully open, each hair spar-
kling with its jewelled tip. Still others look
withered, and black particles seem to be held in
the depression of the Icaf-blade.

One must be familiar with the habits of the
sundew to know that these black particles are the
remains of the bodies of insects which have been
attracted to the leaf by the apparent presence of
Cjpture of drops of ncctar. In these drops their legs are first
caught; then the red hairs bend slowly over and
imprison still more helplessly the little body, which

1 06

A LONG ISLAND MEADOW

is soon lifeless. A digestive fluid is now exuded
from tiie luurs, and the flesh and blood are ab-
sorbed by the plant, whicli leaves undi!,^csted only
the bony portions that form the particles left upon
the surface of the leaf. Two days are said to be
sufficient for the total absorption of the digestible
parts of the body of a very small insect. After this
absorption is accomplished, the leaf and the hairs
slowly recover their former position. Within a
day or two, fresh drops of the deceptive fluid are
exuded, and the murderous work begins anew.
One leaf may capture many prisoners. Ants, flies,
beetles, and even butterflies are numbered among
the victims of this little plant.

Of the three species of sundew native to this
part of the country, I hnd two here, the round- T-uoujtive
leaved aud the f)blong-leaved, the latter notice- """^"'^
able fiom its habit of raising itself upon its root,
so as not to be submerged when growing in the
water.

Springing directly out of the black pools which
the sundews border is a slender, usually leafless
stem, bearing a yellov/ H iwcr with a projecting,
helmet-shaped lip. In the w.iter at the base of the
stem float little, awl-shaped leaves, fastened to
which arc a number of tiny sacs or bladders. This
is the bladdorwort, a plant which would naturally
find the neighborhood of the sundew congenial,

107

ACCORDING TO SF.ASOxX

•uort

as It is another of the inscct-eatin-; i^roui). Its
bladders are so small as to give no hint of the
death-traps that they arc, but a careful look into
their interiors will discover the remains of insects
lured to their destruction as cleverly and as
surely as are the victims of the sundew. Each
bladder is furnished with a door which opens
inward. It is supposed that insects wiien pur-
sued by enemies seek its shelter, rushing into
involuntary imprisonment, as the door bv'^which
they entered will not open outward. They die
from starvation or suffocation, and specially
adapted cells of the bladder absorb the particles
of their decomposed bodies.

Close to the bladdcrwort, where the pools widen
into miniature lakes, a midtitude of slender stems
tipped with white knobs rise fnjm the water.
P>h".vri These white-knobbed stems belong to the seven-
angled pipewort, a curious little plant that bears
its minute blossoms closely clustered in the knobs
which first attracted our attention. Its thread-
like leaves, tufted at the base of the stem, are
partly out of sight under the water.

All about us are mossy hummocks where cran-
berry and swamp blackberry vines interlace their
spreading strands; where the marsh shield-fern
and the sensitive fern contend for standing-room :
where the aromatic leaves oi the bayberry bask

loS

hmiuiiock

A LONG ISLAND MI, A DOW

in the sunshine, and the dull spikes of the ra<^,<;ed-
frini^ed orchis erect themselves with inco-ispicu-

ous jrrace, their small tl

owers not im|)ressin<

the eye, a!tliou<;h already the individual, deti.lv
frini^ed blossoms deserve more than ]»assin<j^ no-
tice.

Wanderinf^ amont^ these chosen footholds of
the rai,^*;ed-frin<^ed oi his is a narrow, slu,!?<^ish
stream, almost hidden from sis^ht bv clumps of
royal fern and by thickets of wi'd-roses and aza-
leas. Here the three-toothed orchis is in bud. At Tbree-
first it seems likely that this is mother species, as '^^'cbf
the botanists assii^n Jfahciiaria tridentata to "wet
woods," but later a careful analysis (^f a full-blown
blossom conrtrnis me in my first ccjnjecture. The
botanical description, " stem, slender; leaf, single,
oblong ; flowers, greenish or wdiitish, very small ;
lip, wedge-oblong, truncate, and with three short
teeth at apex, the slender and slightly club-shaped
spur curved upward, longer than the ovary; root,
of few iieshy fibres," seems to applv satisfactorily
to this little plant, with a possible c ;eption in the
case of the " very small " flowers, the blossoms
which make up these spikes being small, but not
exceptionally so.

We have crossed the meadow and reached a
tangled thicket of alder and bayberry bushes, of
wild-roses, with a few delicate blossoms still open

109

ACCORDING TO SKASON

tiros'; tb->

Thistles
iMiJ nu'dd-
o-Ji-beauty

Brakes and

sensitive

ferns

to the bees and sunshine of whin- <,/ ~i '

-suckle cvru v,.f k • ' "'"^^'^"'^"iI>Jujney.

^l^,nl a cat-bird is inewiiiir discordmtl,- n i
some lower twio-. -, \r . , ^^"'^'''"t'>. and on

and hl'h'f "'""" "' "'^ '"™''°" "- «"d '••>" brakes
and hgh -jjreon ^ensilive ferns in abundance ]f we

M^nt as to be a novelty to most peonle

I thmk It s Mr Bridfnrri r , ^ J^"^'

wh^^ K "raaiord Torrcy who says th'it

wtien he iroes to \vi)i- o, i ." "^--'uiai

feoes to walk as a botanist his ornitho-

no

-^

PLATt XIX

STEEPLE-BUSh
Sjii>,i,i hum hliMi

A L()N(; ISLAND MKAUOW

Inimical Sftiscs arc s alcd. Ik- is alivt- oiilv tn /ioui.-i^t ,•
plants. I k' iicitlirr sees nor licars llu- liiids. Aiul. ';'/'/'/"'"'
vta- :rrs,i, when !ic- i^ocs l)i^(l-lllmtinl,^ tlic ,i.i;ic-fii
j^n luiiit; ihiii^^s about liavc ikj tlctinitc existence
for him.

This tendency is natr.ral entnii^h and nia\ lasiJv
be carried even to i;reater leii,<,M.iis. When on liie /\„/u/
lookout for tlowers if may chance that not only '''"'''"•"
some rarr biid or brilliant bultertiv escapes our
notice, [jut that such plants as do not llower. or
as do not bear what we are accustomed to look
upon as tlnwcrs, fail utterly to arrest our alten-
ti(jn.

Perhaps the reason for this is that \vc arc more
a[)t to notice the thin>;s about which we have Our
some kncMMedfj^e. and in this busy world it is a ^'^'^/•j'
difhcult matter to know even a little about many
different thiui^s. So in our walks abroad we con-
centr;:tc our atuntion u\)< a our own especial
hobby, be this flowers oi terns, birds oi buttei"-
flies.

But in such a S'ot as this, to one who has con- i,uJc'
fined himself to .i sinj^^le hobby, there comes a
sense of limitation, of paintul inadetpiacv, which
spurs him to the resolve to .'rive aftei broaocr
knowledi,^e, or, for it is the same thinj;, broader
enjoyment. At least some such experience as
this has been mine during the hours 1 have lately

III

yuMy

ACC()UI)IN(i lO MASON

[Listed ill tin's |ii(.i(ii)\v.
I il I licin, arc <»l(l Ir i( II'
sti,in;;(is. IJuf as In
tlicsc l)( aiitiliil, 'Tass-

'hc flowers, nrnrlv nil

ic ((.Tiis, tdi ., arc not

.laiiics and liahits (i(

sc-(lj;(.-|ikc-, nisli liki-

S/rj;/^cM tluiij^^s tliat wave and lloat and swa\- ahuvc llie
llo'vcis. al)<»vc tlic k'ins, I was almost ciitiifh at
sra. Vui years I had intant to make a study ol
Ihc grasses and sedges. I)ut the em[.ly days they
wtif drsi-iied to till sli[>|>ed farther and farther
into till lutnri'. and lure I was ainonj; a host ol
lovely, tantali/iiiL; eieatures w ho were (juite name-
less. 1 hurried home tidiii mv first visit to the
ineadiiw wilh the deti'riiiiiiation to leani from
some hocik at least the names ol the strangers.
W Mh the ha[t[>y eonhdence of ii^noraiice, I felt
assured that hy another day I should feel more at
home anionij^ them.

But my eonlidence was premature. The flower-
lover who seeks to know as well as to love, finds
himself soiuewhat daunted on his first introduc-
tion to "coherent" calyxes, '"superior" ovaries,
"deciduous" sepals, and "parietal" placenta'.

Il-rau ! Hut what are these to " imbricated tuo-ranked
illumes," with their "palets" and "lodicules,"

their "caryopses" and " lijj^ules

" 5

It is bad

enoui^^h to have the illumes "imbricated," but
when thev become "excurrent" or " charta-
ceous" or " ventricose-scarious-margincd " at the

112

A l.()\(j ISLAND Mi.AUUW

same time; wlicn llicv arc so small as to be almost

iii\ isihic, and u liiii llic pyLTiin-likc proportions of
■• palcK " ri-ii'ici tliciii al)s()iulrl\- intaiif;ihic-, then
tlic scfktr altci- Miptiticial kiiowlcdirc, hv means
of vhii h he hopes to satisU' In iix'if and to astonisji
iiis lu'i^liliors. is rtduccd to dcsp;iir.

A» last, however, I did i;rasp the fact that
.t,M-assrs are "usually" iioliow-stemined save at Cr.mv5
the joints, and that their sheathin- leaves are '""'"'''^"
"split or oi>en on the side opposite the hiadc"
(what the " h\ ponvnous " Ih wers •• u snail v " were
ahoiit, I refused even to attenipf to discover),
and that sedj^r^-s had " mostly " (i'Ut, oh, the ex-
ceptions in science) "solid stems and closed
sheaths" ithe habits of their "spiked, chicHy
three-androus flowers" I al^o lelt reli,L,Mouslv
alone); and armed with thi> douhle piece of in-
formation, hnck 1 went to the mearlow.

That sui, y, breezy morning almost the first
objects to catch my eye were certain lonj;--
stemmcd creatures tip-toein,<; on a hummock near
the plantation of cinnamon-ferns, with ribbon-
like leaves ai)parentl\ knotted al)out their necks
and lloatinjj: on the wind. "A sed,<re, without ^ybub?
doubt," I thouL,'-ht, cuUinj; reluctantly one of
the vij^orous stems, [kit an eager look showed
that this was hollow, and another glance seemed
to prove that it was not an exception, li could

113

ACCORDING TO SI.ASOX

Sn'ifiis

Chav-

iiukcr's
ritib

ere
•lie

not hv a v^.u^^., as its " shcatliino: leave '
neither "split nor open on tiie side opj),
l)la(le." \vi it looked sc easv.

When i.ersuadcil thai the lovely, rollickin,(r
thin;;- v.as neitlier <;rass nor sedj^e, i tound that
the family deseription of rushes left the inside of
t//c-!r stems tci the ima<;ination, and so far as
stems were concerned (and 1 Ixuan to rejoice in
my j)rimit,\-e metliod of classification) it seemed
to me that 1 was free t(j call it a rush. So I
christened it "Moorland Princess" and felt al-
most (hut I will frankly admit not (juite) as happv
as when I learned later that despite the mislead-
inj,^ hollowness of its stem, my Moorland Princess
was nevertheless a sedge and was legally entitled
to the not altogether eui)honious name of Siirpits
Cypi'riims.

On the next hunt I had better luck. Out of
the IMack water where the sundews and bladder-
worts had laid their clever little traps, grows a
wilderness of triangular, grass-like leaves (as they
seemed to me), from each of which, near its nod-
ding summit, protrudes a bunch of brown kn(jbs.
It was easy to see that what looked like the
plant's leaf was its stem or "culm " ; that this was
"solid," as the culm of a sedge should be, and
"shari)ly triangular," as the particular sed<re
called "chairmaker's rush" mu.'t be, for after

114

A LONG ISLAND MKADOW

much rcadinj^ of description and consultation of
tlic j)latcs in tlu- hack of Gray's manual, and in
Dr. Britton's new, dcli^^htful book, which <iivcs
us pictures ol everythin;^;-. the " cliairmaker's
rush " (altli()u<;h a sedi^e; I decided this abun-
chmt and ellectivc pLant to be.

Next 1 discovered the identity of the " smooth
marsh <;rass." a tall, <^raceful creature with rib-
bon-like leaves, and alternate branchiui; spikes
of flowers, which let out a frin<;e of tremulous
purple stamens. Another abundant jdant with
round stems and little brown flower-clusters I
placed without difficulty anions; the rushes, and
id'-ntitied as tlu •' common bog- rush."

Other plants beloui^int; to one or another of
these three i^roups. j^^rasses, sedi^es, and rushes,
either by my own efforts or with the help of
wiser friends, 1 succeeded later in placin<r as
" panic j;rass," " dropseed," " boi,^ bulrush," " red-
rooted Cyperus," " twi^;-rush," etc., while still
others I pressed and laid aside for future identi-
fication, tryiiis; to take comfort in the thought
that even the infinitely patient Darwin found
himself baflled by the grasses.

I think one seldom realizes more keenly the
swift flight of summer than w hen watching the
changes wdiich take place in some one clearly
defined spot such as this meadow. It seemed as

"S

Smooth

in.iish

grass

Darvi'!
and tic
grasses

ACCORDING TO SEASON

thouj^h 1 had only bcs^un to revel in the j^race of
the i;rass-pinks and adder's mouths, when a feu-
days ol st(jnn intervened, and, on my next visit,
Th-'liiht grass-pinks and adder's mouths had vanished

oj smiiiiur •.11 • f , '

With the exception of here and there some be-
lated and reluctant bhjssom. From the mossy
hummocks the ragged-fringed orchis had almost
disappeared. Deep down among the grasses the
three-toothed orchis had blossomed and begun to
wither. The little flower-clusters of the sundew
had gone to seed, and only here and there could
be found a solitary yellow blossom of the bladder-
wort. Cranberries and blackberries had deep-
ened in color, wild-roses and elder- blossoms had
given ])lacc to hips and berries.

But abo\ e the cinnamon-ferns glowed spots of
orange-red. From stately stems set round with
T:,rk-s-cap slender leaves nodded the burning blossoms ol
the Turk's -cap lily, its long recurved sepals
spotted with red-brown, its stamens tipped with
pollen-laden anthers which trembled with evcrv
breath of wind. In all the neighborhood I have
not foun-l the wood or meadow lily, but their
places are amply hlled by these voluptuous-look-
ing creatures.

The under-world among the sedges, which the
week l)efi)re was radiant with bright-flowered
orchids, is now enlivened by the r.d stems,

Il6

PLATE XX

GREAT BURNET
J'litfniiiii ( 'iiniiil, in,

A LONG ISLAND MIADOW

aiht
hush

TZ" l,,vc-. and dainty flcsh-colorcd tlowcrs
changing itax This little plant is Af.n /• W-

Of the marsh Si. Johnsw,,. t. Uns ^^^„^^^_„^,

already takin, on the burnn.,^ colors ol the fall.
,.ivin- us a foretaste ()[ October.
'-^ Near the stream ,e spotted cowbane sords up
U;.,reaked stems and spreads the whae,rre,u.^^.;;

lar llower-clnsters that pronounce .t akuj to the

wild-carrot. On its verv borders the ,Mnk spire.
: h's eple-busli rise far above their ob on,
11. .hoL woolly Unin,pro.e.s U.m rom

,hc heavy mo.sture which rises at, msMfall tiom

tlic sur'-.undini; inar'^h.

Vrhaps the mo.t noticeable <>f all the changes

i, the meadow is that which has takeiM.lace on
,l,,,.teveryhumnn>ek,ah>n, the borders of the
tream and especiallv in the thicket. Evervu hcic
Z sharp V toot'he.l. oblong, alderdike leaves
:^/^ white .h,wer-.lusters of the ...... -..

vt bagrance of these wax-like fh>wers adds a
new chann and freshness to the Angus, mormno:.
Another .onspicnous arrival in the mead. , WIS
th..neat.bnrnet. This is a tall plant with leatkt
somewhat like those of the rose, and long-stalked
spikes of fe.therv. hit e flowers, the >wer ones.. .^
opening hrst. leaving the upper part of the spikc
;,;„,,: These blossoms owe their feathery ap-
pearance to the four long white stan.ens o which

' . ,^uif41v t.. co;isist. the four

each blossom seems chutly t.) co, . i

"7

ACCOKDIXG TO SI.ASON

l)ftal-likc lolics of thr calyx liavin^^ falLii and tlic
pistil lii'iriij^ iucoiispicuoiis.

The hriliiaiit cnlorini;- w liicli is a ftaliirc of this
iniclsiiniiiuT meadow i^; iiifciisiticd bv the insect

Butu-rjlhs life which it sustains. Buttertlies, especialiv, seem
to ahoiiiid. They iloat over the nodding grasses
or poise cpiivcring above a nectar-laden blossom
or rest on some leafy plant, the dull undersides of
their folded wings blending with their surround-
ings and diminishing the likelihood of attacks
from their enemies.

Not only is a butterfly endowed with unusual
beauty, but its life-history is full of charm. Then,
too, the very names of butterflies (unlike those of

The :ipell birds and plants, of manv of which "Wilson's
thrush " and "Clayton's fern " form fair sami)les)
breathe romance. Who would not yield to the
spell of the Wanderer, the Hrown Elfin, the Lit-
tle Wood Satyr, and the Dreamy Dusky-wing?
Or who could resist the charm ol the Painted
Lady, the Silver-spotted I lesperid, the Tawny
Emi)cror, or the Red Admiral?

In the meadow, perhaps, the monarch or milk-
weed butterfly is one of the most omnif)resent.
Indeed, this is probably the best-known butterfly
in the United States, as its broad, orange-red,
black-bordered wings carry if many hundreds of
miles and make it conspicuous everywhere.

if namc!

Monarch
or iiiilk-

'd-ced
hiittfr/h'

A LOiNG ISLAND Ml.ADOW

1m :ul<liti..n t,. luin- the most widely dislrib-
uUmI it is..nc(.l tlu' in..>t ii.ttrcstin.txof our but-
tcrtlics. Its cam.- is an ama/in^ one. How so ^n^^^^^
fra-Mlc a creature can eudure ti.e tati-ue an.i .eM.t ...,,,,,
the" storm ami stress incieleutal to a jnuruev ol
thousauds of miles, such as it is beli - vcd to take
whe.i mi-ratiMLC to southern lands, ami how such
a " shinin- mark " escapes destruction from its ene-
mies, it is difficult to understand. That this annual
mi-ration does take place seems fairly well estab-
lished. The bulteitly is known to have marvellous
powers of Hi.i^ht. and alon- the coast in the tall it
has fretiuentlv been seen assemblins in Hocks
numberiuK^ hundreds of thousands, chan-in- the
colorof the trees on which it alit^hts for the ni-ht.

Its ^reat weapon aL^ainst its enemies, the birds, ^.^c^
is the rank odor exhaled from its entire body, as
well as a specially nauseous smell produced by
the males at will by means of a bunch of hairs pro-
trudin- from either side of the alxhmien.

This\'ifc-uard is supposed to be the cause of
what is called the " unconscious mimicry '• of an-
other tribe of butterflies which wear the same liv-
ery of oran-e and black. It is, perhaps, hardly
necessary to sav that this so-called "mimicry" is
believed to be the result of Ions; periods of time
durini,^ which only those members of the BasU-
anltia that bore some resemblance to the mon-

119

ACCOKDIXG TO SI-.ASON

Scnit />i-r-
cr^lioii of'
butlcijtus

arcli huttcrtlv contrived to live loni,^ (MiouL;h to
leave (ie'>cen(lants ; as a (■onse(Hieiice, troin i,^eii-
eratioii to generation the likt-ncss between tlic
Thf Rj'.ii- two tribes iiiereased, till ,it last the />a.si/iU-( /lia vo
*'*''' successfully counterfeited the api^'arance ol the
milk-weed butterfly that, while still without its
weapons of defenee, it secured almost the same
inirnunilv from its enemies.

The S( lilt |ierce]itioii of butterllies is astonish-
ini^dy keen. Their vision has been jirovcd to be
veiy imperfect, accordiiii^ to our ideas, and it is
believed that thcv are y^uided to the plants upon
which they wish to l;iy their ei^^-s, and li(jm which
they hope to i.;atlur food, bv the sense ol smell,
rather than by that of sii;ht. It is claimed that in
certain tribes a female bultertlv, emerij^inijj from
her cocotjii (piitc out of slight and several miles
away (in a city, for instance) from anv of her tribe
is spcedilv visited by her kinsmen who have been
guided hither bv the sense of smell alone.

Clini^imj^ to a leaf or a blade of i^rass, occasion-
allv we ' the cater[)illar of the milkwc'cd but-
terlU', its plum[) bodv banded with vellow, black,
and white. 1 hese caterpill.irs come from i ;4:,<;s de-
posited by the butterfly ui)on the upper surtace of
the new leaves of the family food-ijlant (usuallv a
milkweerl). In about four davs the caterpillar
hatches, and spends the lu \t two or three weeks,

1 20

Cat.-rptl-
lay and
cbiysalts

FLATE XXI

I

PURPLE MILKWEED

A LONG ISI.Wi) Ml \IV)\V

wliik' ;iU;iiiiinL: it> ^i/r, ii|m ,11 the ioi id |il.iiit. I hir-
iiiL,^ liis (ki ii > i 1 1 1111)11 lis it ^ skill liKii tiinrs. \ licii
iIk ;imc (iiiius foi till- ( haiiijc to clir\ .ili^, it
usii.iIK ii';ivfs tlic Idim! |.l.iiit and seeks some safe
and steady spot, wlirir it lianas troin nine to fif-
teen (lavs, wlicii llic ImttcitK i nierires.

Ill and out ainonu; llir buttci Hies tlaslu •■ the
dariiin--iic(dK-, its blue -drain 1. Lailiii'.: those
ehihiish (lavs wiicn we h ai lull v liid our ears lest
thev lie darned loj^elhcr. Bii,^ ^;rLtn i^iasshojipers
cliii!^ to the leaves an I -1 ass-l)la(les, who'-e exaet
color tiiey often seem to reprofluee, another ease
of llie mimicrv whieh brinies seem it v. I'nder the
grasses crawls the 'j;vcu\ bhuk.lunx- spider whose
bite, tradition tells us, is (kath, and seemini,^ to me
more like the incarnation of thr spirit of evil than
any other ihiiii; 1 know, save a black snake. In the
centre of its Ijcantiful uprii^^ht W( b close by watches
another hui^e, poisononsdook.ni:; creature with
black body. si)otted and banded with li-lit vellow.
Upon the t(jol-path aloni:^ the knee lies the
emj)ty shell of a turtle. Farther on the skin of a
snake is drying in the sun. At times 1 am more
f^rateful for the ])rote( tion whieh mv rubberdioots
afford me from furry spiders and other erawlintj:,
creepini; thin.i(S which 1 picture in the black slime
below the sedi^es than from the mud in which 1
sink almost knee-deeii.

121

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bjhtljiili

R:,hhcr-
hools

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;.NSI and ISO TEST CHART No 2

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r.S '•'ochester. New -crk !'.609 LISA

.= 6) 482 - CJOO - Phone

= 6) 288 - 5989 - Fa«

ACCORDING lO Sl'.ASON

U'lri-jsoii-
injl hoi I or

I wonder if cciiicatioii could secure one at^Minst
the v.'iLCue unreasonini;- Ikm-k with which certain
f;re\v sonic- looking- creatures always inspire one.
This horror does not arise altos^ether from fear of
any actual i>livsical harm. One fears a ferocious
bull, yet it is doubtful if the thoui^ht o{ the great
beast fills him with the sort of shrinking terror
which is aroused by the mere memory of other
comparali\tlv harmless creatures. Vet where
actiiallv repellent objects are concerned, I doubt
if it would be possible to plant in even young and
unprejudiced minds the desirable sense of kinship
with all living things.

it is the last week of August. The meadow is
Goidav.d i»utting on its dress of gold and purple, the red-
gold of the ])endants of the jewel-weed, the yel-
low-goUl of the golden-rod, the blue-purples of
the asters, the pinker shades of the sea-side ger-
ardia, the lavender of the bell-like flower-heads of
the lion's foot, and the varied purples of the blos-
soming grasses, now more luxuriant than ever.

The bird-voices grow daily more rare. An oc-
casional sf)ng-sparrow makes a hoarse effort, but
is less successful than are the myriad insects, the
crickets, locusts, and grasshoppers. These till the
air with a droning, soothing chorus that blends
with the low roar of the sea beyond the distant
sand-hills.

purple

Imect

chorus

12:

IX

MIDSUMMER

Or cl^e pe'haps 1 , jii-lit luiiit.- rni-aj'iw I .w,
Where cIi.-cp-i'nnKed orchids rtariil tlnir feathery '■[■ires,
Where hiics r -"ded by the river ^li.w,
And milkiveeus Imrned in red and oranKe fires ;
Wliere bright wiiiKed blackbirds flashed like living c.jals,
And reed-birds rimed fr. m the swaying yrass ;
There slirired I in tlie laden bee's delight,
Quivered u, see the dark clond-shad.nvs pass
lieyond me ; loved and yearned to know the souls
tif bird and bee and (iMwer -of day and nijiht.

IX

MIDSUMMER

It is interestinsr to observe ihe manner in which
the llowers express the dominant mood of the
season. The early ones, as has been noticed al-
ready, are chilly-looking, shy, tentative; charm-
iiit; with the shrinking, uncertain charm of an
American spring. Those of the later year are
distinctlv hardy, braced to meet cold winds and
nipping nights; while those of midsummer—
those which are abroad now— have caught the
hot look of flame, or of the sun itself, or— at
times — the deep blue of the sky.

Of course there are exceptions to this rule, as
we shall note later; but the least observing must
admit the intensity of the colors which now pre-
vail, colors which are not. perhaps, more brilliant
tlian the later ones, but which, it seems to me, are
far more suggestive of summer. It may be argued
that this is merely a matter of association: th; t if
the golden-rods and asters were in the habit of
flowering in July, and it tlie lilies and milk-
weeds ordinarily postponed their appearance till

Moo.i of

of iOlor

ACCORDING TO SKASON

tioii

September, the former would seem to us the
ones which embodied most visidly t!ie idea of
heat and sunlight, while llic latter would t\pily,
in a pertectly satisfactcjry fashic^n, the colder
season.

I am readv to acknowledi^e that we are victim-
ized sometimes by our sensitiveness to association ;
recallini^ clearly a certain childish conviction that
one could reco<;nize Sunday by the peculiarly
<;(jlden look of its sunlii^ht, and by the loui;-, mys-
terious slant of its shadows in the orchard. This
delusion— though even yet it hardly seems tliat —
sjjrant::, I suppose, partly from the fact that only
on Sunday was one oblii^ed io refrain from a va-
riety of enchanting pursuits which at other times
proved so absorbing as to prechulo any great
sensitiveness t(j the aspects of nature, and partly
also from a certain serenity in the moral atmos-
phere which so linked itself with the visible sur-
roundings as to arouse the belief that the lights
and shadows of this one day actually differed in
character from tliose of the other six. Still I can
not but think that not oidy is the coarseness of
habit common to the later flowers suggestive of a
defensive attitude in view of a more or less in-
clement season, but that their actual colors arc
less indicative of the heat of summer.

Surely no autumn iield sends upward a multiple

136

MIDSUMMER

i-clk'Ction of tlic sun itself as do these meadows
about us. One would supi.o.-,e tliat tlie vellow
rays of the omnipresent black-eyed Susan would
droop beneath the tierce ones which beat upon
them Irom abcjve. Instead, they seem to welcome (^^M"''
the touch of a kinsman and to -ain vi,L,n)r from
the contact. One instantly rccoj,niizcs these flow-
ers as members of the great composite family, a
tribe which is bc<,nnning to take almost undisputed
possession of many of our fields; that is, in rela-
ti(jn to the lioral world, for the farmers are waging
constant war upon it. They are cousins of the
dandelions and daisies, of the golden-rod and

asters.

The family name indicates that each flower-head
is composed of a number of small flowers which
are clustered so closely as to give the effect of a
single blossom. In the black-eyed Susan the brown
cen"tre, the " black eye " itself, consists of a quan-
tity of tubular-shaped blossoms, which are crowded ^^*^^;^^.^
upon a somewhat cone-shaped receptacle, hence
the common name of " cone-ilower." In botanical
parlance, these arc called •' disk-tlowers." Tliey
possess both stamens and pistils, while the yellow
rays, which commonly arc regarded as petals, are
in reality flowers wdiich arc without either of these
important organs; only assisting in the perpetua-
tion of the species by arresting the attention of

127

ACCORDING TO SKASON

I>;issmi,r insfcts and thus securing an exchange of
\n)'Acn ainoni,^ I lie perfect disk-flowers.

In the coniincjii daisy the arran<;enuiit is differ-
ent. Here the white rays are even more useful
than ornamental, as they are the female flowers of
the head, eventually producin,:; seed; while the
yellow disk-llowers of the centre yield the pollen.
The ilandelion is witliout any tubular blossoms.
Its florets are botanically described as "strap,
shaped," resemblin- the ray-flowers of the daisy
and black-eyed Susan. In the common thistle,
ai^ain, we find only tubular flowers. If the minute
bhxssoms of the composite family were not thus
Ki-')uped, probably they would be too inconspicu-
ous to attract attention and often might fail to
secure the pollen necessary to their fertilization.
To quote Mr. Grant Allen, " Union is strength for
the daisy as for the State."

More people would learn to take an interest in
plants if they suspected the pleasurable exxite-
ment which awaits the flower-lover upon the
most commonplace railway journey. A peculiar
thrill of expectancy is caused by the rapidly
changing environment which reveals, in swift
succession, flowers of the most varied proclivi-
^rjih^y ties. If we leave New York on a certain road at
intervals for an hour or more the salt marshes
spread their decp-hued treasures before us. Then

12S

" ( ':iioii !\
sfitiii^lh"

PLATE XXtl

(

WOOD LILY
I. ilium I'fiHii'li l/'hii'iiiii

MIDSUMMKR

I

wc turn into the interior, passiiijjj tlirouj^h farm-
lands where the plants which follow in the wake
of civilization line our way. Suddenly we leave
these behind. Dartin<^ into the deep forest we
catch <;limpses of the shyer woodland beauties.
Now and then we span a foaming river, on whose
steep shores we may detect, with the eagerness
of a sportsman, some long-sought rarity.

It is always a fresh surprise and disappoint-
ment to me to find that I can seldon: reach on
foot such wild and promising spots as the rail-
•.vay window reveals. Is it possible that the Chjrm of
swiftly vanishmg scene has been illummatca t)y at-jtu
the imagination which has been allowed the
freer play from the improbability of any neces-
sity for future readjustment? However that
may be, I hnd that my book possesses but little
charm till an aching head warns me to refrain
from too constant a vigil.

Just now, from such a coign of vantage, when
the unclouded sun beats upon their surfaces, cer-
tain pastures look as though atire. The grasses
sway about great patches of intense orange-red,
suggestive of creeping flames. This startling Mtlkueeds
effect is given by the butterfly-weed, the most
gorgeous member of the milkweed family. Al-
most equally vivid, though less flame-like, is the
purple milkweed, a species which abounds also in

129

ACCORDING TO SKASON

dry places, with dec,, pink-purple Houcrs ulnVl,
K'"w HI srn;.il,r, 1,-ss sprcadin-; clusters (han fhosr
«1 the butfcrliv-uecl. Tlu. swamp uiilkuce.l
may be ffniu.i in nearly all u-cl uiea.lcus. |t is
dcscrii)e<l by (;ray as - r.^se-purplc/' but the hner
specitnens lui-ht almost, claim to be ranked
anion^^ the red llowers.

The dull pink balls of the common milkweed
or silkweed are .nassed by every road-side novy
and arc too ^vn,-rMy known to ured description
The most delicate member of the family is the
four-leayed .nilku-ee<l. uith fra,<,n-ant j.ale pink
blossoms which appear in June on the wooded
h.ll-sides. Althou<;h there are eit,rhtcen distinct
species of milkweed proper, perhaps the aboye
are the only ones which are commonly encoun-
f^.ran. tered. Few pla.U-families add n.ore to'the beau-
>,ainr ty of the summer fields. But althou-h its diflcr-
ent representatives are deemed worthy of careful
cultivation in other count ries-rhe well-known
swallow-worts of En-lish gardens bein- milk-
weeds-I doubt if the average American knows
even the commoner species by si.nht. so careless
have we been of our native flowers.

July yields no plant which is more perfect in
both Hower and folia-e than the meadow-lily It
IS a ,<,^enuine delight to wade knee-deep into 'some
meadow among the myriad erect stems, which

130

/lotvers

MinSl'MMl'.R

I. nil

arc sill I ciiiii(ic(l l)\ s\ iniiictrical circles <it
shaped k'avcs and crownt'd witli lniio;-stfiimicd,
n()(ldini,^ rci urvcd lilies; lilies so Ijell-likc and
tremulMUs (hat sir h a nieadow ahva > s sii<,^gests
tome |iossil)iliii(.s ot tiuklini,^ imisic too ethereal
lor mortal ears. I'siially these lloweis arc yel-
low, thicklv spotted with brown, but this year
1 lind them of the deepest shade ol orani^e. With-
in the tlower-cn[) the st iiieiis are heavily loaded
with l)rown pollen.

When with rhythmical sweep of his Inn^r scythe
the mower lays low whole acres of lilies and clo-
ver, milkweerls, daisies, and buttercups, there is a
tendency to l)ewail such a massacre of the flowers.
But, after all, this is no purposeless destruction.
As the dead blossoms lie heaped one upon another
in the blazini^ sunlitJ^lit, their sweetness is scat-
tered abroad with everv breatli of wind. As we
rest amoni; the fra<j;rant mounds we arc still sub-
ject to their pervadin-; influence. They " were
lovely and jileasant in their lives, and in their
ileath they were not divided."

But it is not the sentimentalist only who be-
i^rudges everv Hower that is picked without pur-
pose, to be thrown aside, a repulsive, disfii;ured
object, a few moments later. Certainly it seems
unintellii^ent, if not wasteful and irreverent, to be
possessed with an irresistible desire wantonly to

131

illy

"Loieh
and

The pur-
posttess
Jlouer-
ptcker

ACCORDING TO SF.ASON

destroy ati extiuisitc oro^anisin. Vet so frequent
IS this lorm of uiiinlellii^ence that, when the com-
panioned flower-lover discovei-s a ,<,M()up of what he
fears niii,dit l)e eonsiciered teinptinir blossoms, his
instinct is to pounce I'jxjn them with outstretched
arms and protect them from an almost certain on-
tilaii<;ht.

Thoreau says somewhere that life should be
lived "as tei.d-rly and daintily as one would
I)luck a flower," so it is possible that in the nei,<,di.
borhood of WaJden the ruthless llower-gatherers
were in the minority, for one would rei^ret to sec
a life lived as ro.i,<;hly and without semblance of
damtiness as in less fortunate localities one can
see flowers plucked by the dozen.

In the w(Hn\< and alonj; the thicket-bordered
fields the vivid c.,psof the wood-lilv gleam from
IVood-l.ly clusters of dull bracken or from feathery, gold-
finged fern-beds. These had never seemed to
me so almost blood-like in color as when I caught
constant glimpses of them from the train a lew
days ago. As it had been raining heavily, I
thought that the unusual intensity of their hue
might be due to a recent l)ath. But in my wan-
derings since then I have encountered equally
brilliant specimens, and again conclude that the
flowers of this year are unusually decp-hucd and
vigorous.

13a

II

PLATE XXtM

■ut
lu-

lls

C(l

jn-

Id

■rs
cc

in

m

to
It

\v

le

ic

/HITE SWAMP HONEVbUCKLE
/,'',(!. /r.(/. udraU riM-nSHIH

MIDSUMMKR

iiujJo-j:-

However much \vc may reve! in rich c(>lor, it is
restful, alter a time, to turn from these blazing- Tall
children of the sun to the careen water-courses
which are marked by the white, jtyramidal clus-
ters and i^raceful folia<,^e of tlie tall meadow-rue.
On certain of these plants th.e llowers are exquis-
itely delicate and feathery, while on others they
are comj)aratively coarse and dull. A closer in-
spection reveals that the former are the male, the
latter the female flowers.

This distinction between the sexes, however, is
less marked in the world of Ihnvers than in that of
birds. Durin-^ the past week I have watched the Dntmctio,.
comings and goings of a scarlet tanager, which "f "■'''"
had built his nest in the fork of a pine-tree within
easy view of my window, and liave had ample op-
portunity to contrast the tropical brilliancv of his
plumage with the dull greenish dress of his mate,
a contrast greater than any I have noticed among
similarly related flowers.

Almost as refreshing as the masses of meadow- Rid,-,-
rue are the thickets composed of the deep irreen '^';'.^''''^>

, 11- 'dhtte

leaves and white, spreading tlouers of the elder. ^-J'"ift

Another beautiful shrub, which is now blossoming sZl^k,

in marshy places, especially near the coast, is the ''•■'''■'-("^

fragrant white swamp honeysuckle. Only among -^ich
the sand-hills of the coast itself do we meet with
the purplish blossoms of the beach-pea. Nearly

ACCORDING TO SKASON

Jersey tea

Wild-
indtgo

Bhch

cotosb

akin to it is the biuc vetch, whose h^i-, druse one-
sided clusters of small, pea-like flowers in;.kc little
lakes of pinkish blue in wet meadows farther in-
land.

In the dry woods we encounter constantly a
shrubby plant with rounded clusters of small
white flowers. This is the New jersey tea. or
red-root; the foimcr name arising from the use
made of its leaves durinrr the Revolution, llic lat-
ter from its dark red root. The driest and most
unmvit.ng localities do not seem to discourage
cither this persistent little shrub or the bushy
looking wild-indigo, with its clover-like leaves
and short terminal clusters of yellow, pea-like
blossoms.

In shaded hollows and on the hill-sides the tall
white wands of the black cohosh, or bugbanc
shoot upward, rocket-like. The great ''stout
stems, large divided leaves and slender spikes of
feathery flowers render this the most conspicuous
wood-plant of the season. If we chance to be
lingering

" In secret paths that thread the forest land "

when the last sunlight has died awav, and hap-
pen suddenly upon one of these ghostly groups,
the effect is almost startling. The rank odor of
the flowers detracts somewhat from one's enjoy-

134

MIDSUMMKR

ment o[ tlicir beauty, and is responsible, 1 sup-
pose, for their unpleasing title ol bugbane.

Under the pine-trees arc the glossy leaves and
nodding bells of the wintergreen ; while acre and
there spring graceful, wax-like clusters of para-
sitic Indian pipe, the fresh blossoms nodding
from leafless, fleshy stalks, the older ones erect- iVu^^r-^^
ing themselves preparatory to fruiting. When /„j,,„^,/,.
we pick these odd-looking flowers they turn black
from our touch, adding their protest to the cry
against the despoiler, and invalidating their claim
'to the title which they sometimes bear of " corpse-
plant."

From some deep shadow gleam the coral-like
berries of the early elder or the bright, rigir'
clusters of the bancberry. On the low bush-
honeysuckle the deep-colored yellow blossoms
announce to the insect world that they have no Bu^-^^^^^^
attractions to offer in the way of pollen or honey,
their fertilization being achieved already.

But at present the woods arc not altogether
satisfactory hunting-grounds. The more inter-
esting flowers have sought the combined light
and moisture of the open bogs or the sunshine of
the fields and road sides. Along the latter are ^>M
quantities of bladder-campion, a European mem-
ber of the pink family which has established it-
self in Eastern New England. It can be recog-

135

ACCORDING TO SEASON

iViUcm-
bcrh or
firc-uccd

nizcd at once by its imich-inHatcd calyx and by
its deeply parted white petals. A few days since
I found the wayside whitened with the large
flowers of the lovely summer anemone, each one
sprini^ing from between two closely set, deeply
cut leaves, in the distance suggesting white wild-
geraniums. A near ki'iSman, the thimble-weed, is
apt to be confused with the summer anemone
when it is found bearing white instead of green-
ish flowers. This curious-looking plant is notice-
able now in shaded spots, growing to a height of
two or three feet, and sending up gaunt flower-
stalks which are finally crowned with a large,
oblong, thimblc-like head of fruit.

Banked in hollows of the hill-side are tall, nod-
ding wands of wihow-herb or fire-weed, with deli-
cate flowers of intense purple-pink. Each blossom
contains both stamens and pistil, but these mature
at different times, and so-called "self-fertilization"
is prevented. The pollen is discharged from the
stamens while the immature pistil is still bent
backward, with its stigmas so closed as to render
it impossible for them to receive upon their sur-
faces a single quickening grain. Later it erects
itself, spreading its four stigmas, which now secure
easily any pollen which may have been brushed
upon the body of the visiting bee. These flowers
are so large and are visited so constantly by bees

136

P^ATE XX, V

JOf PYE-Wl ED
I'.uj.iit ,ri>i<r> /•",'/, II,; iiiti

w

MIDSUMMI.R

that iinvoiic who chnnccs upon the i)hint can wit-
ness spet'tliK' the whole j)erforinaiice.

Here are raspherry bushes covered thickly with
fruit, so thickly that one could live for days on
the rocky hill-side without other food than this Rjy.pbcrnts
most subtly flavored of all berries. Overhead its
purple-flowered sister betrays its kinship with tlie
now abundarit wild-rose, whose delicate beauty it
fails utterly to rival. In the low thicket arc tiny,
rose-veined bells of doj^bane, and, beyond, the
bright if somewhat ragged yellow flowers and
dotted leaves of the irrepressible St. John's-wort
jut up everywhere.

The umbrella-like clusters of the water-hemlock
fill the moist ditches and suggest the wild-carrot
of the later year; close by, the coarse stems and
flat, j-ellow tops of its relative, the meadow pars-
nip, crowd one upon another. Farther on are soft
plumes of the later yellow loosestrife, with little
flowers similar to those of the four-leaved loose- Yellcne
strife, which is now on the wane. loosesin/e

One looks down upon a wood from whose edges
gleam silvery birches, whose tops are soft with
the tassels of the chestnut. Below it slopes a
meadow turned yellow with the pale flowers of
the wild-f-adish. Above it surges a field of grain iVtiJ-
which grows dark and cool with the shadow of a
scurrying cloud. If one were nearer he would see

137

AC\()K1)1NG lU SLASON

Corn-
cockle

Tfv vrar

I! 'lid

thyme

nmnnnr the wheat the ori^-ht piiik-purjih- j.efals
and ,<,M-ceii nill-likc calyx of the coiii-eocklc.

The year is at its hci.-ht. The hosom of tlie
earth is soft and restful as that of a mother. One
■^ al)ides in the perfect [iresent, h)okin,- neither he-
liind nor before. With the ever-recurrini; scent
of new-mown hay comes another odor, aromatic,
permeating. From our feet slopes

" —a hank where the wild thyme j,'rows."

Only in this one spot have I ever met with this
classic little plant, with its close purple flowers
and tiny ri-id leaves. When I first discovered it.
one superb rain-washed afternoon, the line

" From dewy pastures, uplands sweet with thyme,"

from Mr. Watson's poem on Wordsworth, flashed
into my mind, and for the hundredth time I ap-
predated the rather flippant humor of someone's
assertion that the chief use of Nature is to illus-
trate quotations from the poets.

133

EARLY AUGUST

I< vcmsa,;f ,1„.H.,y w.-,, no, wh.-lly ,„.f.,u- ,n wl„, I, w-: h.uc- .,vc„ l.ce.l t.,
»ome natural object.-KMEKsoN. ''

X

EARLY AUGUST

hoiild ask nic to show him the place
1 th( hui;i.s| iiuiu-

If somcoiK' s
o( all ottuMS which would itvca
her o( strikiiii; ilowcrs ptM
should like to ij;uidc him to ;i ccr

iiliar to this sc;isoii

I

tain salt-marsh — -^ '•J'/-

ii sa

It-marsh which is cut up hcr^

aud there bv

tiij'st

little inlets, where the water runs up at hi-h tide

and laps its wa>

far inland, and which is .lotted

by occ

asional islands of hi<;her, drier laud that

1 with tall trees.
In the distance the mars

cire c()vere(

111

;iy

(Ticen

h only l(K)ks refresh-
but if we draw nearer we sec patches
for which the bri.<;ht i;rass of

ol vivid colorini
the salt-meadows hiils to account. II we enter it
by way of the sand-hills on the beach, we almost
hesitate to step ui)on the daintv carpet which lies
before us. Hundreds of sea-i)inks, or Saljlmfni, S..-^.A-
.rlcam like rosy stars above the -rasses. Vet the
pro(li<;al fashion in which this plant lavishes its
rich color upon the meadows does not constitute
its sole or even its chief claim upon our enthusi-
asm, tor it is as perfect in detail as it is beautiful

141

S.ihhjtu
chloroidi-s

S,-a-

la-jender

Mock

ACCORDING TO SKASON

in the mass. The live-parted corolla is of the
purest pink, with clear markings of red and yel-
l<nv at its centre. As in the willow-herb or fire-
weed, the stamens and pistils mature at different
times, and self-fertilization is avoided.

One peculiarly lari,re and beautiful species is
Sabbaiia chloroidcs. This is found borderin<r
brackish ponds along the coast. I have never
been so fortunate as to sec it growing, but speci-
mens have been sent me from Cape Cod. A less
conspicuous kind abounds in the rich soil of the
interior.

Another abundant plant which is sure to exxite
our interest is the .ea-lavcnder. Its small laven-
der-colored flowers arc spiked along one side of
the leafless, branching stems, giving a misty ef-
fect which makes its other common name of
marsh rosemary seem peculiarly appropriate,
when we know that the title is derived from the
Latin for " sea-sprav."

Here, too, we ^xmX the mock bishop-weed, one
()f the most delicate of the parsleys, with thread-

tid'op-ueed ,., ^.^..^-...v. V,. tu^ iKusieys, witn ttiread-

Mid marsh '''<e leaves and tiny white flowers growin'>- in bract-

St. John's
iLort

ed clusters, the shape of which might suggest to
the imaginative a bishop's cap. Through this veil
of flower and foliage wc spy the i)inkish stems,
opposite, clasping leaves, and small flesh-colored
blossoms of the marsh St. John's-wort, an attrac-

142

PLATt XXV

NEW ENGLAND AST ER

,l>7^r .\iirit AiK/lia

EARLY AUGUST

tive plant whose chief charm, perhaps, lies in its
[olia.t^e and colorini,^ as its llowcrs, although
pretty, are rather small and inconspicuous.

Parts of the meadow arc bright with the ob-
long, clover-like heads of the milkwort. These
seem to deepen i color from day to day till
finally they hjok almost red. They arc closely
related to the lovely fringed polygala of the June
woods, and to the little moss-like species with nar-
row leaves growing in circles about its stem, and
thick flower-heads of purplish-pink, which can be
found along the inner borders of this same marsh.
There is a hollow in the meadow which is al-
ways too wet to be explored comfortably without
rubber-boots, and which becomes at high tide a
salt-water pond. Its edges are guarded by ranks
of tall swamp mallows, whose great rose-colored
flowers flutter like banners in the breeze. Close
by are thickets turned pinkish-purple by the
dense flower-clusters of the largest and most
showy of the tick-trefoils, a group of plants which
arc now in full bloom and which can be recognized
by their three-divided leaves, pink or purple pea-
like flowers, and by the flat, roughened pods
which adhere to our clothes with regrettable
pertinacity. The botany assigns this species to
rich woods, but I have never seen it more abun-
dant than here.

143

Mitkuori

S-uamp
mallo-is

Tick-
irefoil

ACCORDING TO SKASON

// 'atcr-
limlock

Only by pushing our way throiiij^h a miniature
forest composed of the purple-streaked stems,
divided leaves, and white flowers of another
parsley, the water-hemlock, do we reach the
stretch of land which j^lorics in the treasure
which makes this especial marsli more brilliant
and unusual than the many others which skirt the
coast. This treasure is the yellow-frin<;ed orchis,
a plant which rears its full orant^e-colored domes
on every side, making a mass of burning color in
the morning sunlight.

I have never found an orchid growing in such
abundance elsewhere, and cannot but hope that

Th,' fTion- the meadow will guard its secret, lest some whole-

•''"'<■ 11 -1 111

marsh Sale despoiler slio--'^' contrive to rob it perma-
nently of its grea beauty. Certain orchids
which were al)undant formerlv in parts of Eno--
land can no longer be found in that country, ow-
ing to the reckless fashion in which the plants,

Daii-rr of for various purposes, were uprooted and carried
off. It is well, too, to remember that plucking
all of its flowers is equivalent to uprooting the
plant in the case of annuals and biennials, as the
future life of the species depends upon the seeds
which the flowers set.

In tlic swam[)s farther inland the close white
heads of the button-bush yield a jasmine-like fra-
grance. From grassy hummocks nod the violet-

144

extfniiiiia
tion

KARLY AUGUST

purple blossoms of the monkey-flower. The path

ot the slow stream is defined by the bri<;ht arrow- Inland

11 1 11 s'diimps

shaped leaves and spotless j^old-centred tiowcrs
of the arrow-head. About tlie up|>er part of their
stems arc clustered the male blossoms, their three
snowy petals surroundinf; the yellow stamens, the
rather ugly female flowers with their dull green
centres occupying a less conspicuous position be-
low. This is only in some cases, however ; at
times the staminate and pistillate blossoms are
found on separate plants.

The edges of the pond are blue with the long,
close spikes of the pickerel-weed. Over the thick-
ets on its shore the clematis has flung a veil ot The pond
feathery white. A tangle of golden threads with
little bunched white flowers shows that the dodder
is at its old game of living on its more self-reliant
neighbors. From erect, finger-like clusters comes
the sweet, spicy breath of the ClciJira.

Where the white dust of the road powders the
wayside plants, rise the coarse stalks of the even- The
ing primrose. These are hung with faded-look-
ing flowers w^hose unsuspectedly fragrant pet-
als gfleamed through the moonlit darkness of last
n' ;ht. Among them we find a fragile, canary-
yellow blossom which has been unable to close
because the pink night-moth, which is the plant's
regular visitor, is so overcome with sleep, or so

MS

ACCORDING TO SKASON

yeivdin

Mullein

Motb-
multiin

drunk, perhaps, with nectar, that it is quite ob-
livious of the growing day and ol its host's custom
of closing its doors with sunrise. We are so un-
used to seeing tliese gay creatures that we feel a
little as if we had surprised some ballroom beauty
fast asleep on the scene of her midniglit triumphs.

The slender spikes of the tall purple vervain
have a somewhat jagged appearance, owing to
the reluctance of its little deep-hued flowers to
open simultaneously. The mullein is not without
this same peculiarity. Its sleepy-looking blossoms
open one by one, giving the dense spike an un-
finished, sluggish aspect. In fact, I think it is the
most " logy " looking plant we have. Although
it came to us originally from England, it is now
comparatively rare in that country. Mr. Bur-
roughs quotes a London correspondent, who says
that when one comes up in solitary glory its ap-
pearance is heralded much as if it were a comet,
the development of its woolly leaves and the
growth of its spike being watched and reported
upon day by day.

The broad, butterfly-shaped ilowersof the moth-
mullein, another emigrant, are much more pleasing
than those of its kinsman. Its corolla is some-
times white, sometimes yellow, with a dash of
red or purple at the centre. Its stamens are
loaded with orange-colored pollen and bearded

146

EARLY AUGUST

with tufts of violet wool, whicii we fancy shields
some hicklen nectar, as its whole appearance su<j-
gcsls that it aims to attract insect vi itors.

Despite the aversion with which it is rct^arded
by the farmers, and the carelessness with which it
is overlooked by those who value only the unusual,
the wild-carrot is one of the most beautiful of our Beautv of
naturalized plants. There is a delicacy and sym- ^^^'^^f
metry in the feathery clusters suggestive of cob-
webs, of magnified snowflakes, of the finest of laces
(one of its common names is Queen Anne's lace),
of the daintiest creations in the worlds of both art
and nature.

Perhaps the most omnipresent flower just now
is the yarrow. Tts finely dissected leaves and close
white clusters border every road-side. Indeed,
when passing through New York a short time
ago it showed its familiar face in a Fifth Avenue
door-vard. Despite what seems to me an obvious
unlikencss, it is confused frequently with the wild-
carrot. Five minutes' study of the two plants Yarrow
with a common magnifying-glass will fix firmly in
the mind the difference between them. It requires
little botanical knowledge to recognize at once
that the wild-carrot is a inember of the umbellif-
erous parsley family. But the small heads of the
yarrow so perfectly simulate separate flowers that
this plant is less readily identified as a composite.

147

ACCORDING lO SKASON

,-/« oLi-

lluddlrd ill hollows by the road-side are the tall
stout stalks, clasping woolly leaves, ami ,<;reat yel-
l-:i/cjiw- low disks ol the elecamiiaue, aiiot her conii)osite.
chu-oiT^ Still anothci-, which is never iouiid far from the
hii^lnvay, i'- the chicorv, the charm of whose sky-
blue flowers is somewhat decreased by the be-
drat^^led appearance ol the rest of the plant.

Kverv true-born American oui^^ht to reco<;nize
the (opposite, widely spreatlinsj^ leaves, and dull,
whitish ilower-clusters of the boneset, a plant
which cured, or which was suj)poscd to cure, so
many of the ailments of our forefathers. Even
t(j-day the country children eye it ruefully as it
han<:;s in hmj; dried bunches in the attic, waiting
to be brewed at the slightes. warning into a singu-
larly nauseating draught.

Nearly related to the bou'set proper is the Joe-
Pye-weed, with tall stout stems surrounded by
circles of rough oblong leaves, and with intensely
y^ii Indun purple-pink flowers, which arc massing themselves
"*''' effectivelv in the low meadows. In parts of the

country no plant does more for the beauty of the
landscape of late summer. It is said to have
taken its name from an Indian medicine-man, who
found it a cure for typhus fever.

The Euro[)ean bellflowcr has become natural-
ized in New England, and the road sides now are
bright with its graceful lilac-blue spires. Another

148

PLATE XXVI

TURTLE HEAD
( 7(1 lii'ii' (jliihrd

KARLY AUGUST

biilliant iiiiiniL,M;uit wliic'i i^ hlossominjjj at present

is the purple loosest rile. The botany extends its

ranj^e from Nova Scotia to Delaware, but I tinci Immigrants

its myriad deep-hued waiuls only on the swampy

shores of the Hudson, and in the marshes which

have lor their backj^round the level outline of

the Shawangunk Mountains.

Alonj; siiaded streams the jewidwcerls hans,^ Srr.un.

Ill' 1 I ■'"''

their s|>uned, deluate pockits; these ;iie some- ,„,, ,/,,-,

times pale yellow, ai^ain dee[) oranj^e, sp(jtted

with reddish-brown. In nrtain swamjiv woods

and open marslies we discover tl:e featliery jiink-

purplc spikes (jf the smaller frinj^cd orchis.

Summer seems well advanced when the curved
leafy stems of the Solomon's seal and twisted-
stalk are huny^, the first with blackish, the second
with bri<;ht red berries. Except in the open Fruits
fields, fruits now are more conspicu()US than
flowers. Of the latter, in the woods, we note
chiefly the pink blossoms strunjj^ upon the long
leafless stalks oi the tick-trefoil, also a somewhat
similar-looking plant, the lop-seed, whose small uti'
pink flowers arc not pealike, however, and whose ""'"" ^
leaves are not divided, as are those of the trefoils.
The inconspicuous, two-petalled blossoms and
thin opposite leaves of the uninteresting enchant-
er's nightshade arc abundant evcrywdiere.

On the hill-side the velvety crimson plumes ol

I

ACCORDING TO SKASON

Si.'gtyni iIr' slaj^^horn suiiiacli toss iipwaid in llic [>ri«ic of

sumach f,„i,j,)n. I If re tlie soft, cusli OP of llu- pasturc-

thistl'- yields a pleasant frai,rraiicc, and violet

patches are made in the p^rass by the iiiroinpkte

heads of the self-heal. A<;ainst the dark ( val

leaves of ti)e ci)cks[)ur-tlu)rn lie red - cheeked,

ai){)ledike f-'uit. Cunaiit-like clusters of choke-

clu-rries liaiii^ from the thicket. The l)irds arc

twitteriiif,^ with joy at the feast which the black-

Red-owr ca|) liushcs are yielding;, and a son<;-s{)arrow flies

ii^<^-^oo ^^^ jj^^_ ^^^^^ ^^j ,^ redosier doj^wood, which is heavy

with its l)iirden uf white lierries, and gives vent
to a few bubbling notes with an ecstatic energy
which threatens almost to burst its little body.

ISO

XI

GOLDEN-ROD AND ASTER

Along tliL ruad-^iJc, like the flowtrs of gold
That tawny Incas for their gardens wrought,
Heavy wi*' juiiihine droops the gulden-rod,
And the reu pennons of the cardinal- flower
Hang motiuulcis upon their upri^iht staves.

— Whittier

XI

GOLDEN-ROD AND ASTER

In an iiilercstin;; article on " American Wild-
Flowei s '■ which appeared in The Fort)iight!y Re-
vitii' some years ago, the English naturalist, Mr. An
Alfred Wallace, commented upon the fact, or ^",^."4
what seemed to him the fact, that nowhere in our
country could be seen any such brilliant masses
of flowers as are yearly displayed by the moors
and meadows of Great Britain.

I have not the article with me and do not recall
certainly whether Mr. Wallace saw our fields and
hill-sides in their September dress, but 1 do re-
member that he dwelt chiefly upon our earlier hrHiumy
flowers, and while, of course, he alluded to the ^j^^^''
many species of golden-rods and asters to be
found in the United States, it seems to me quite
impossible that he could have seen our country
at this season and yet have remained uncon-
vinced of the unusual brilliancy of its flora.

Despite the beauty of our woods and meadows
when starred with the white of bloodroot and
anemone, and with the purple-red ol the wake-robin,

153

ACCORDING TO SKASON

U>lS.i

Manv
spcncs of
golden-rod

they are perhaps less radiant than those of England
'• in primrose-time." And althouj^h our summer
landscape glows with deep-hued lilies and milk-
weeds, and glitters with black-eyed Susai yet in
actual brilliancy it must yield the palm tc; an Eng-
lish field of scarlet poppies. But when September
lines the road-sides of New England with the pur-
ple of the aster, and flings its mantle of golden-rod
over her hills, and tills her hollows with the pink
drifts of the joe-i'ye-weed or with th.e intense red-
purple of the iron-weed, and guards her brooks
with tall ranks of yellow sunflowers, then I think
that any moor or meadow of Great Britain might
be set in her midst and yet fail to pale her
glory.

Of the hundred or so classified species of golden-
rod, about eighty belong to the United States. Of
these some forty can be found in our Northeast-
ern States. The scientific name of the genus,
SoIidagP, signifying "to make whole," refers to
the faith which formerly prevailed in its healing
powers. It belongs to the composite family,
which now predominates so generally. Its small
heads are composed of both ray and disk flowers,
which are of the same golden hue, except in one
species. These flower-heads are usually clustered
in one-sided racemes, which spring from the upper
part of a leafy stem.

154

GOLDKN-ROD AND AS^KR

One of the commonest species, and one of the
earliest to blossom, is the roii>;h <;olden-iO(:l, a
plant with hairy stem, thick, roui^h, obl(Mi<^ leaves,
and small heads, each (jne of which is made u\> of
from seven to nine rav-tlowers and from four to
seven disk-flowers. ()ccas;(jnally it will be found
growing to a height of hve or ^ix feet, but ordina-
rily it is one of the lowest of tliC genus. The elm-
leaved species is a somewhat similar-looking plant,
with thinner, larger leaves, a smooth stem, and
with only about four ray-flowers to each little
head. The so-called Canadian golden-rod, with
its tall, stout tem. pointed, sharply toothed leaves
and short ray-flowers, is one of the commonest
varieties.

The lance-leaved species is seldom recognized as
a member of the tribe, because of its flat-topped
clusters, which form a striking contrast to the
slender, wand-like r cemcs which usually charac-
terize the genus. It is often mistaken for the tansy,
which is also a yellow comj'osite, but which is
quite dissimilar in detail, having deeply divided
leaves, the segments of v hich are cut and toothed,
and sometimes much crisped and curled, and but-
ton-like, deep-hued flower-heads, which appear to
be devoid of ray-flowers. Strictly speaking, tli'
tansy is not a wild flower with us. It was brought
from Europe to the gardens of New England,

155

Farly to
blosiom

Lancc-
Uaved

species

Tans

i

ACCORDING TO SI.ASON

/IstCf^

where it was raised as a valuable weed. Now it
dyes yellow the hollows of tlu abandoned home-
stead :i irays lawlessly to the borders ol the
highw;;

The tribe of asters is even larger than that of
golden-rods, numbering some two hundred spe-
cies. Italv, Switzerland, and Great Britain each
yield but one native variety, I believe, although
others arc largely cultivated, the Christmas and
Michaelmas daisies of English gardens being
American asters. One species. Aster glacialis of
the botanies, is found growing 1 3,000 feet above
the sea. The blue and purple varieties, those hav-
ing blue and purple ray-flowers, that is, are much
commoner than those with white ray-flowers.
Over fifty of the former are found in the Norm-
eastern States to about a dozen of the latter.

Oi the white species, the earliest to blossom is
the corymbed aster, which can be identified by its
slcnderj somewhat zigzag stems, its thin, heart-
shaped leaves, and its loosely clustered fiovver-
heads. It grows plentifully in the open woods,
especially somewhat northward. In swamps and
moist thickets we find the unbelled aster, with its
long, tapering leaves, and Hat clusters, which it
lifts at times to a height of seven feet. A beau-
tiful varietv which is abundant along the coast is
the many-tiowcrcd aster. This is a bushy, spread-

156

PLATc. XXVII

lr»

BALSAM FIrl
Allies /iiilsdiiiitl

1

■J

I

PI

■

cation

iu'j; plant, soniewhaf suQ^f:;cstive of an evcrc^rccn,
with littic, narrow, ri^id leaves, and small, crowded
llowcr-hcads.

The tall, stout stems and larp^c violet heads of
the New Enji^land aster mark one of the most
strikint;^ of the pur[)le species. It tloods with Pnrpu
color the low meadows and moist hollows alonj; ^P"-'"''
the road side, while the wood-borders are lij^ht-
ened by the pale t luc rays of the heart-leaved
variety.

There are many other species without Eni^lish
titles which can hardly be described without the
aid of technical terms. Even the trained botanist Dtfriatitv
fmds himself daunted at times in his cfTorts to '" ' ''"^'
identify the various species, while the bef^inner
is sure to be sorely tried if he set himself tiiis
task. Yet if he persevere he will be rewarded, as
every road-side will supply an absorbini^ problem ;
(or there is a decided fascination in delecting; the
individual traits of plants that to the untrained
eye have nothing to distinguish them from one
another. The significance of the scientihc title
of the genus Astrr is easily appreciated, for the
effect of its flowers is peculiarly star-like.

The red-purple clusters of the iron-weed are
of*^r 1 mistaken for asters by those who are not
sutticiently observant to notice that its flower-
heads are composed entirely of tubular blossoms,

157

ACCORDING lU Sh.ASON

bcini^ without the ray-flowers which are essential
lioiKiWiI to an aster. In the iron-weed the involucre of
little leaf-like scales which always suriounds the
ii<nver-head of a composite, and which is com-
monly considered a cal3-x uy the unbotanical, is
usually n( a pur[)lish t :it, each little scale being
tipped with a tiny cusp or point. Its alternate
leaves are loni; and narrow, and its tough stem is
responsible for its common name. Its scientific
title, Veruouia, was bestowed in honor of an Eng-
lish botanist who travelled in this country many
years ago.

In the rich woods the flat-topped flower-clus-
ters and broad, pointed leaves of the white
snakeroot, a near relative of the boneset, are
noticeable. This is a brighter-looking, more or-
namental plant than its celebrated kinsman.
Along the streams and in the thickets the sun-
flowers lift their yellow heads far above our own,
while the wet ditches are gilded with the bright
rays of the bur-marigold.

Somewhat southward the large heads of the so-
'■:/l'z.:iiJ called golden aster (which is not an aster at all)
star the dry fields and road sides. In moist,
shaded spots we find the ephemeral day-flower,
or Commclina, wdth its two sky-blue petals quaintly
commemorating the two Commelyns (distin-
guished Dutch botanists), while the odd petal,

153

Ml.l

thukets

I

GOLDKN-ROl) AM) ASFhK

which can boast little in the way of either size or
rolor, immortalizes the comparative insi^niihcance
of a less renowned brother. At least so runs the
trailitioti.

From barren sandy banks in much the same Ditt.im'
latitudes s[)ring the branchinf; stems, opposite
aromatic leaves, and clustered, delicate wdiite or
lavender-colored flowers of the dittany, one of the
mints. On the hill-side the little corollas of the
blue-curls are fallinj^ so as to reveal within the Bhu-cu>h
calyx the four tiny nutlets, which are a promi-
nent characteristic of the same family, wnile the
plant's clammy, balsam-scented leaves offer an-
other means of identification.

Near the blue-curls we are likely to find the
closely spiked, pea-like blossoms and three-divided
leaves of the bush-clover, as well as the pink- Bush-clcn.i
purple flowers and downy and also clover-like
foliage of another of the tick-trefoils. As these
two groups of plants have so many points in com-
mon that it is somewhat difficult ordinarily to Tick-
distinguish between them, it is well to remember
that the calyx of a tick-trefoil is usually more
or less two-lipped, while that of a bush-clover is
divided into five slender and nearly equal lobes.

Two other members of the pulse or pea family
arc frequently encountered during the earlier part
of this month. Along the grassy lanes that wind

»59

trefoil

ACCORDING TO Si.ASON

tint and

gtrardti

ill and oiif ainoiiir the woods arc delicate clusters
of pale lilai- blossoms iioddinjj^ from a stem whicli
clambers over the thicket and twines al>ont the
iriin-ueeds and asters. 1 believe tliis i^racelul
plant owes its unattractive name of ho^-peanut
to its under<;round iruit. which is said to be up-
rooted and devoured by hot:;s. In low places,
climbing about whatever shrub or plant it chances
to find, Ljrows the wild-bean, with thick clusters
(;l brown and pinkish flowers which yield a deli-
cate frai^rance somewhat suf^j^eslive <jf violets.
My experience has been that these f<nir members
of the i)ulse familv are especially abundant along
the coast.

The salt-meadows are brigt.i with the purplish-
pink shellsof the sea-side <;erardia. These flowers,
althoutjh smaller, are alnujst identical in shape
with those of their relative, the yelhjw false fox-
glove, which we found in the woods some time
ago. The slender gerardia is a similar-looking
plant which abounds farther inland. This genus
is named after the earlv botanist, Gcrarde, author
of the famous "Ilerball." Its members are sup-
posed to be more ur less parasitic in their habits,
drawintr their nourishment from the roots of other
plants. For some time the pale foliage of the salt-
marsh lleabane has been consjMCuous by contrast
among the daily deepening flower-heads of the

i6o

GOLDI.N-Uon AM) A.Sri.k

i

milkwort ami the l)i i^lii Lcrccn leavesof the marsh

St. john's-wort, mikI tiiKilIy it spreads brforc us SJlt■^hr^b

its pink clusters of tinw strou^Iv scented lloucrs. ^'■'•'''■""'

Soineueeks since 1 di'scrihed t In- j)ickcrcl-\vcecl
and arrow-head as in their piiine, t)ut it must he
remembered that a plant which tlower in Au<,aist
in Southein New York and New jers^ v may not
blossom in the mountains farther north until Sep-
tember. Alonj.; the Saranac River in the Aoi-
rondacks a few days ai^o 1 found the pickerel- Ptrkei,-i-
weed more fully and lu.xuriantly in bloom than on ^'''^
anv jircvions occasion. The slender spikes of deli-
cate blue flowers icared themselves above j^^reat
beds of dark, polished leaves, makinrj a rich bor-
der to the winding river. Our <;uide told us that
in sprinjj^ the i)ickerel laid their ej^^i^s anionic these
plants, which at that season are not visible above
the water, ami that later the moose fed upon their
leaves.

The shoals were still starred with the pure blos-
soms of the arrow-head, while in the current of
the stream trembled the thick pink spikes of the
amphibious knot-weed. At the foot (jf the rush-
like leaves and golden-brown spires of the cat-tail,
and among the soft round heads of the bur-reed, Yello-d'
protruded the knobby buds and coarse, bright P'^"^-'''-f
flowers of the yellow pond-lilv. In places where
the logs sent down the river the previcnis winters

l6i

P

ACCOKDlNCi TO SI.ASON

TurtU-
hcjJ

had "jammed," the luzzy, whitish pyramids of the
mcadow-sufft siiiit:(i upuaid l)V tlic liuinlml.

On the haiik^ tlic blossoms ol the- tiic-ucc-d had
made \\a\ Im- the pink, --K-iidfi' [pods wiiirli were
about to (.lack open, iclcasiiij^ cloiidv inasscs ot
silvei-w iii^^c(_l seeds. Great clusters of delicate
Chmiiiidd ferns leaneil over the water's edi;e. The
tall stems and white, huddleil thjwers of the turtle-
iiead hardly succeeded inkcepiiiiifout of the stream.
As a dark curve ot slnjre swe|)t in sif^ht, aL;ainst
its backi^^round of spruce, birch, hendock, and
balsani-tir ;rleanied

Car Jill jI
flau :r

IVdter-

" TliL- lardinil .iml the blood-red spots,
Its doublf 111 the btrcain."

In this flower seems to culminate the vivid beauty
of the summer. N'et, despite its intense color, it
is so sure to c hoose a cool, rich setting; that it
never su^i,^^ests heat, as do the held flowers of the
earlier year.

Manv of the lily-pads had been turned (iver by
the swift current, or, perhajjs, by a passing boat,
and showed the deep, polished pink of their lower
sides. Thick amoni;- them floated tlieir placid,
queenly flowers, witli their g-reen and pink-tint^ed
sepals, and their sncnvy petals which pass imper-
ceptibly into the centre of j^olden stamens. Ihe
bright red twigs of the dog-wood, the coral clus-

162

PLATE XXVill

H

HOBBLE-BUSH
Viliiirunm hin'ininiili .<

GOLDEN-ROD AND ASTER

ters of the now beautiful hobble-bush, and a stray
branch of crimson maple lightened the more
thickly wooded banks.

As we left the boat, stepping upon the elastic
carpet of moss and pine-needles, and crossing a
fallen, lichen-grown tree-trunk, we discovered the Dai,i-j,jj
low white flowers and violet-like leaves of the 2^'„^,j
Dalibarda, and were filled with wonder and de-
light when we found the pink, fragrant bells of
the Linn(2a still heralding the fame of their great
master. The tiny, evergreen, birch - flavored
leaves of the creeping snowberry almost hid from
view its spotless fruit, but the peculiarly bright-
blue berries of the Clintonia were everywhere con-
spicuous as they rose above their large polished
leaves. Among delicate masses of the clover-
like foliage of the wc-od-sorrel lurked a late pink-
veined blossom. And where we looked only for
gleaming clusters of scarlet fruit we huind the LUwxpccud
white, petal-like leaves of the bunchberry. If in 'Zntir "^
June we were saddened by the first transmuta-
tions of flower into fruit, apparent symbols of a
year that is no longer young, in September we
are compensated by these unexpected emblems of
its eternal youth.

163

XII
AUTUMN

Oh, sacrament nf summer flav^,
(>h, last communion in the haze,
Permit a child to join,

Thy sacred emblems to pirtake,
Thy cnsccratc.l bread ic, break,
Taste thine immurtal wine '

— KmII.Y i^ICKINSOW

XII

AUTUMN

On every perfect day, Nature, like a beautiful
woman, cajoles her true lovers into the belief
that she has never before worn so becoming a /in ancient
dress. I have a conviction of long standing that ''^"^^
the world is tairest when the trees are hrst laced
with green, and little tender things are pushing
up everywhere and bursting into miracles of del-
icate bloom. Yet, with each heaven-born morn-
ing of the succeeding seasons, this somewhat
spasmodic faith is weakly surrendered. It is im-
possible to wonder at Lowell's

"What is so rare as a day in June ? "

when the lanes are first lined with white-flowered
shrubs, and the air is heavy with fragrance and
alive with bird-voices. Later, without one back- Disputed
ward glance, I abandon myself to the ripe, lus- "'t"''"""^
cious beauty of midsummer. And though, while
taking my first fall walk the other clay (for the
true fall is not here till well on in September),
and while noting how the hills were veiled by a

107

^11

I

ACCORDING TO SKASON

A bene-
diction

silvery mist, and iiow tiic roadsides wore a
many-luied einhroider\-, and that the suniael; in
tlie s\vaiii[) was bej^inninjjj lo hjok like tlie burn-
inij^ bush on Horeb, 1 felt that there could be no
beauty like this, which foretold the end ; yet al-
readv 1 realize that before lonj^ the purple shad-
ows will lie so softly upon the snowy fields, and
the faint rose of dawn or twilii^iit will flush with
such tenderness the white side of the mountain,
that the earth may seem lovelier in her shroud
than in any of her living garments.

But it is altogether human to set especial value
upon the things ot which we are about to be de-
prived, and now, more than ever, we linger out of
doors, yielding ourselves to Inlluences which lie
upon our spirits like a benediction, storing our
minds with images which, among less inspiring
surroundings, will

" flash upon that inward eye,
Which is the bliss of solitude."

jlouers

Few flowers are abroad, barring the asters and
golden-rods, yet these few we invest with a pecul-
iar interest and affection, exijericncing a sensation
of gratitude, almost, as toward some beings who
have stood stanch when the multitudes fell away.
No group of plants belong more distinctively
to the season than do the gentians. Of these,

I6S

P.ATL XXIX

L- a

in

i

i

FRUIT OF PAINTED TRILLIUM
'J'rilliiiiil ' ri/thi''i;irpi,n,

AUTUMN

tlic most famous, tliouj;h In- no iiuaiis the tiiost
frequent representative is the friii-cd L,-entiaii, a
flower which owes, 1 lanc\-, much ot its reputation
to Bryant's well-known lines; not that it does not
deserve the interest which has centred ab(Hit it,
but that, while everyone has heard of it, compara-
tively few people seem to have ferreted out its
haunts. Probably Bryant, also, is lar-ely respon-
sible for the somewhat inaccurate notions whicli
are afloat concernin,i,r its usual season of blooming.
This is in September, lont; before the

"woods are bare and birds are tlown " ;

although Thoreau, if I remember rightly, records
that he found it in flower as late as November 7th,
when, certainly,

" frosts and shortening days portend
The aged year is near his end."

My first fringed gentian was the reward of a
forty-mile drive, taken one cold autumn day for
the sole purpose of paying court to its blue loveli-
ness. It enticed us into a wet, green meadow
where, picking our way from hummock to hum-
mock, without appreciably diminishing the supply.
we gathered one tall cluster after another of the
delicate, deep-hued blossoms. In bud the fringed
petals are twisted one about the other. When the

169

/■>!iii;,\i
'•ciitian

A long
dn-cc '

ACCORDING TO Sl-AbON

III ioliir

gentian

Fivc-

il-iitian

(lav is cloudv, or c-vcii, I ^lioi.' • judfjc, if the wind
is liij;li, llu- tidl-blowii tlowtT closes in the same
fashion. Theindividuals which jjjrow in the shade
are even more attractive than those which frecjnent
the open. Their blue is lii^hter, with a silverv
tin».(e vvliich 1 do not recall in anv other tlowei.
Until this year 1 have never encountered the plant
in mv ordinarv wanderinjj^s, but durini:^ the past
iew (lavs I have found it bordering in abundance
the Berkshire lanes. Being an annual, we cannot
predict with certainty its whereabouts from year
to year, as its seeds may be washed to some dis-
tance in the moist regions wdiich usually it favors.

Far less delicate and uncommon, but still at-
tractive, is the closed gentian. This is usually a
stout, rather tall plant, with crowded clusters of
deep blue or purj)le flowers, which never open,
looking always like buds. It grows along the
shaded road sides,and iseasily confused with other
members of the group, as both the five-flowered
and soapwort gentians have tiarrow corollas,
which often appear almost closed.

Certain New England woods and road sides are
now tinged with the pale blue or at times pinkish
blossoms of the five-flowered species, while in the
Adirondacks in earlv September, parts of the
shore ot the Raquctte River were actually " blued"
with what I take to have been the lance-leaved

170

AUTUMN

f^cntian, C'tn/iann Inuaris of flu' botany, Iohirt-
ly considered a variety of the soaj)\vort species.

ins conjecture as to tiieir identity was

^ full an

never veri-

fied, as tlie specimens <;allieied for analysis were
t drown away by the j;nitie diirinj; a sturni whicii
overtook us on one of tlie "carries."

In tlie wet nieaiiows wliicii liarbor the frinj^cd
^'cntian we find also the white or cream-colored Crjss of
flowers of the <^rass of Parnassus, their five veiny ''-"''''' ^^'«
petals crowning a tall, slender stem, which is
clasped below by a little rounded leaf. There is a
suggestion of spring in a fresh cluster of these
blossoms, perhaps owing to a superficial resem-
bianco to the anemones, or it may be because they
have little of the hardy look of other fall flowers.

Here, too, abounds the last orchid of the year,
the ladies' tresses, with small white flowers grow- Ladus'
ing in a slender, twisted spike. Occasionally this "■'""
l)lant becomes ambitious. Leaving the low." wet
places" to which it is assigned by the botany, it
climbs far up the hill-sides. I never remember
seeing it in greater abundance or more fragrant
and perfect than in a field high u]) on the Catskill
Mountains. The flowers that we care for we are
apt to associate with the particular spot in which
ue found them first — or at their best — and the
mention or sight of this little orchid instantly re-
calls that breezy upland with its far-reaching view,

i7t

11

I I

ACCORDING lU SKASON

Cjiiadian

and its Imni of v:vj:cr hvc^. whit h utic sucking
the rare sutxts ol the late year from the invriad
spires anion- whieh I hiyoiie Sepfeml)er morniii<j.

All. It her jihiiil linked lor nie with the same re-
'j;um and season is the so-called Canadian \ i(, let.
1 ill late S( ptenihei, aloiiu a windini; niountaiii-
road, one tould <,rathcr great bunelies ol its fresh,
leafy - steninied llowers— white, yellow -centred,
fra,<;iant, with pnrj.le veins above and violet-
washed below. Near them the wildstrawbcrrics
were abundantly in blossom, as they are now to
some extent in lierkshire.

And whenever 1 sec :. depauperate mountain-
ash lorlornly decorating a corner of some over-
civilizetl eountry-placc, languishing like a hand-
some young barbarian in captivity, I remember
Mom,tani- how that same road brought one to the forest
whieh crowned the mountain's top— to a dimly
lighted path, which led through mossy fern-beds
till it reached a sudden opening, where two great
hemlocks made a frame, and a dark, distant moun-
tain lormed a l)ackground for the feathery foliage
and scarlet clusters of a superbly vigorous speci-
men of this beautiful tree.

If we leave the mountains and visit once more
the salt-meadows, we notice a multitude of erect,
narrow-leaved stems, which tov.-ard their summits
are studded with soft, rose-purple flower-heads.

172

PLATE XXX

''I

OHASS OF PARNASSUS
/''/ //'(,-.-ii( ' 'iirollllUl'Kl

AUTUMN

This is the bhizi-ig- star, one of the latest blooming Rij:i,!g
and most beautiful of the composites. '''"

Just back of the beach the ,<;ray sand-hills are
warm with the slender branches and little rose-
colored flowers of the sand knot weed, a jiatch of Sa,ui-bilh
which reminded Thoreau of " a peach-orchard in
bloom." The brij^ht-hucd, leafless stems of the
.glasswort define the borders of the road. Only
a close examination convinces us of the existence
of the minute flowers of this odd-looking plant, for
they are so sunken in its thickened upper joints
as to be almost invisible.

Now and then we come across an evening prim-
rose with blossoms so wide open, delicate, and fra-
grant, and with leaf and stem so lackinsr their
usual rankpess, that e can hardly connect it with
the great, coarse plants whose brown, flowerless
spikes are crowding the edge of the highway. In seaside
this neighborhood the brilliant flowers and fleshy ^"''^''"-'"'"^
leaves of the sea-side golden-rod are everywhere
conspicuous, while farther inland the so-called
blue-stemmed species, bearing its clustered heads
in the leaf-angles along the stem, begins to predom-
inate. On the mountains and in the dry thickets
of the lowlands we encounter occasionally one of
the most attractive of the tribe— the sweet golden- Sucet
rod, with shining, dotted, narrow leaves, which ^"^'^'"-'"''^
yield, when crushed, a refreshing, anise-like odor.

173

tl
t

ACCORDING TO SKASON

Shauiy
astir

Great h.'ue
lobelia

The diflcrent asters are affording; the loveliest
shades of blue, purple, and lavender. Pre-eminent
(or richness of color and beauty of detail are the
lari^e, violet-hued, daisy-like heads of the showy
aster, a species which is found (growing in sandy
soil along the coast. In the woods, nodding from
tall stems, we notice the graceful, bell-like flower-
heads of the rattlesnake-root.

A friend writes me that in parts of Connecticut
the swamps arc stiU bright with the great blue lo-
belia, and that the yellow flowers of the bur-mari-
gold are abundant in the road-side ditches. This
last-named plant holds its own through the first
frosts till well on in November. Its dull-looking
sister, the common stick-tight, whose ugly, brown-
ish flower-heads are frequent in moist, waste
places, is equally tenacious of life — and of our
clothes, to which its barbed seed-vessels cling so
Stuk tight persistently that every walk across country means
that we have innocently extended 'f unwelcome
sway.

Indeed, we can hardly spend a morning out of
doors at this season without having our attention
MtJwH '^^'''''^^'" constantly to the many ingenious devices
adopted by the different plants for the distribu-
tion of their seed. On ourselves and on our dojrs
we find not only the troublesome barbs of the
stick-tight, but also the flat, hooked pods of the

174

AUTUMN

tick-trefoils, the bristly fruit of avens and ^oose-
i^rass, and the prickly heads of the burdock. In B^rH „ul
the thicket the birds are already stripping the *"'-'*'
dog-woods of their red, blue, and lead-colored ber-
ries, either releasing the seeds upon the spot or
carrying them to some other and, perhaps, more
hospitable neighborhood ; while the coral beads
of the beautiful black alder, the red or purple
sprays of the viburnums, the bright haws of the Bcrnes
white-thorn, the scarlet pennants which stream
from the barberry bushes, and the half-hidden
berries of the partridge-vine, tempt them to a
feast which will prove as advantageous to host
as to guest.

If the seeds are not trapped out in a fashion
which renders them attractive to animals their
transportation generally is provided in some
other manner. Notice how the great pasture-
thistle is slowly swelling into a silvery cushion Silky sath
which a few brisk winds will disintegrate. Watch
the pods of the milkweed crack open, revealing
symmetrical packs (the beloved " fishes " of child-
hood) of golden-brown seeds, to each one of which
is tacked a silky sail which finally unfurls and
floats away with its burden. Go down to the
brook and finger lightly the pod of the jewel- yn^v/.-x.../
weed, or touch-me-not. You will become so fas-
cinated with the ingenious mechanism which

175

ACCORDING TO SKASON

IVitch-

causes the little seed-vessel to recoil from your
touch with an clastic spring whicii sends the
seeds far into the neighboring; thicket, that you
will hardly leave till the last tiny adventurer has
been started on his life-journey.

On the hi!l-sidc <;rows a shrub with wavy-
toothed leaves, and a nut-like fruit which has
been ripening all summer. We know that this is
the witch-hazel, because little bunches of fn- -ant,
narrow-petalled yellow flowers are burstii-g rom
the branches. All the blossoms may not appear
for some time yet, but when the fruit has ripened
and the leaves are fallen they will surprise us like
a golden prophecy of spring. Break off and
^arry home a fruiting branch. Soon the capsules
will snap elasticallv apart, disc), irginir in every
directi(3n their black, bony contents; the action
of the parent plant somewhat recalling that of
the moth'.-r bird who pushes her young from the
edge of the nest that they may learn to shift for
themselves.

Many seeds are washed by water to more or
less remote neighborhoods. Some become at-
tached with clods of earth to the feet of birds,
and are borne to other regions, where they thrive
or perish, according to their power of adapting
themselves to their new environment. How far
this last class of travellers inay journey we real-

i7f.

PLATE XXXI

FHUir OF MOUNTAIN MAPLE
Acer .-.J, ir, II, III!

AUTUMN

ue especially at this season, u hen nc.rlv ev.rv M,„au„.
day shows us Iresh (locks of birds which have '''"''
come under the inihience of (hat st.an-e power
which moves them " to stretch their win-s tow-
ard the South," brin-ini,^ them (even the more
limid species) this monun,<,r to our very doorstep
in search of food, inducini^- them to-i-ht to re-
sume a voyage which may terminate only in the
troj)ics.

Each walk abroad brin,i,rs up new rpiestions for
settlement. The last is one of preference pure
and simple, namely, whether the "snake- fence Wv
or the stone wall affords the -reater possibilities ■''""' "'
Till recently I had no doubt as to the a'sthetic ^'""'"'''
superiority of the stone wall. It has such infinite
capacity for tumbling, for takin- on a coat of
lichens and mosses-for weai ins; soft tints of time
and weather. When quite prostrate, its ruin is
Indden so tenderly by blood-red tan-les of Vir-
ginia creeper or silky plumes of clematis, and by
masses of soft ferns, which nestle lovin-ly about
Its feet. In the [.resence of the ideal stone wall
-and I know a hundred such-there seems no
room for indecision.

Yet the crooked course of the snake fence is
undeniably picturesque. Its "zi-zags" offer sin-
Snlarly choice retreats for orrcat clumps of purple-
stalked, red-stained, heavy-fruited poke-weed, for

'77

ACCORDING I'O SI-.ASON

IndaiMH groups of ycUou-hniwn Osmundii ffiiis, and for
lcsto(jns of bittcr-swcct, with oraii^'c pods split
open to reveal their scarlet- coated seeds. No
stone wall can yield such occasional vistas of
meadow beyond, brij^ht with golden-rod and aster,
and framed by brilliant strands of blackberrv vine.
When its plants and shrubs and creepers are left
cjuite unmolested, free to follow its devious course,
to twine about its jiosts, or to peej) contidini;ly
over its topmost rails, then, I own, my loyalty be-

gins to waver.

But after a time the rambler out of doors grows
Unaui-dcred accustomed to leaving his cpiestions unanswered.
ques lotii I'iant-naturc, esj)ecially, he finds almost as incon-
sistent and contradictory as his own. Surprises
soon cease to be surprising. Even now the rank
stems of the chicory are studded with bright blue
blossoms. The sun shines warm and sweet upon
grass which is green and tender as in June.
Soothing insect-murmurs so fill the air that the
absence of bird-notes is hardly felt. Clover-heads
are full and dcep-hued, yielding stores of nectar to
the bees. All about arc bright groTi})s of black-
eyed Susan — a plant wdiich two months ago looked
brown and " done for." Feathery clusters of wild-
carrot spread themselves beside the fruiting um-
bels, which look like collapsed birds'-nests, Daisies
are fresh, and buttercups so glossy that one can

178

AUTUMN

hardly resist brushiii^r thciii with oiic\ lips to sec
if they are actually wet.

Yet the maple which leans clear across the
brook is already crimson, and when we reach the
rocky hill-side the yellow fronds of ihv Duhcvna
exhale a subtle fragrance which suggests decay.
Another faint, elusive odor, starting a train of
equally elusive memories, floats ujjward from the
only flower at our feet, the " life-cverlasting."
which, as children, I hardly know whv, we always
associated with graves. Here, where there is
none of tiie life and freshness of the meadow be- U/:--n;r.
low, it seems to decorate the grave of summer. '^"'"^
Dr. Holmes says concerning it: "A something
it has of sepulchral spicery, as if it had been
brought from the core of some great pyramid,
where it had lain on the breast of a mummied
Pharaoh. Something, too, of immortality in the
sad, faint sweetness lingering long in its lifeless
petals. Yet this does not tell why it fills my eyes
with tears, and carries me in blissful thought to
the banks of asphodel that border the "River of
Life."

m

INDEX

Roman numerals ,cfer t(j elates in the last cilition <jf •■ Hdw to
Knc'W ihc- Willi Mowers. '

Adder's mouth XCV'II, lo;, lib

Adder's ton^juf 1,111, 52, 53, 57, ^5

Alder, I. lack 175

Alders ,-, 22, 41;, ,oi<

Anemone 1 1, 57

summer 135

Arlmtus, trailing l.XX.W, 28, 34. 47, 85

Artthu >a CXWV 1 , 88

Arrowhead 14;, ihi

Ash, mountain 172

Aster, golden 158

Asters XLII, XI, III, CXIAII, CXI A'lII, 16. 122, 125, 153

'54. 156, 157. '74
corymbed 1 56

many-rtowered 156

New England C XLVI, 157

umbelled 10

Avens LXV, 1 75

Azalea XCII, 73, 109

Balm of Gilead -52

Baneberry 1 25

Barberry 175

Barn-swallows 74

Bastlarchia 1 1 o

Bay-berry 88, 108, 109

Beach-pea 133

1S3

i\i)i:x

PACE

''^■■'11. "il'l CI.VIIl, iho

l'>-!lll"wer 1_^S

''•■""'Tt l.\I, :;2, ?:;, 72

'■''■"^'"^^ ^^. 4.5, :;>•. i,;7

Uirds, winter I ,

N'"";^ :2, 27

"iM^iy 74

"f.IulK' 4-

Hi->h()]i .Vfi'i!, iii'iLk 112

IlitlL-r swfct I -S

ISlatkliL-rrics _ Ill,

l!l:ickl)(.Try, running' swainji 10^

vinos y^^ ,oS

lilackbir.l-, ri(!-\viii \-i\ -<

'^ /*+

IU.it k-evL-d Susan 127, i -S

JiLidckr-campiDn i •-

Waddcrfcrn sO, Hj

liladderwort lAXI. 107, 114, ii()

Ulazinj; star ( 1„ ,-,

Woodl.K.t I^ ,(, ry

fJluL'biTry blwssonis <<-

lilucliirds I ,^ 2 .

bliiL'-LUrls , -q

Hluc-cved ^;ias> 6() S2

'-'■"'-'< ■' ]..'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.■;,. S4

Hog biilri:>,li , , -

I^f>K riisli , , -

'■"'^ei''^' XI, IV. 14S

f!o!rx, hufii ,g

fral;? s , , o

Brain lies ,-

I'lrooni, linglish j ,

r.u-hanc , ,4

Hunchberry XVIII, (.;, 71, i(,^

ISurdock [ --

l.ur.mari-.Id I.XXXl, 15S, 174

1 34

INDKX

PACC

Burnet, great 117

Bur-reed I h I

Bush-clover i^(j

Bush jioneysuckie I.Wl, li^

Buttercups iS, S ^. 1 7S

Butterllies 22, 4v 1 i>> 121

MoiKiich or Milkweed i i,S-i2o

Butterrly-weed CWIll, 129

Button■bu^h XXXllI, 144

Caloppi:;on .\C\I 11, 10?

Calypso hnralis 08

Campion, bladder Ijc

Cancer-root yo

Cardinal-flower ( \ W, i(,2

Carrion -vine \ lA'1 1 1, g^

Carrot, wild 14-, 1 -H

Cat-bird 74, 1 10

Cat-briar <) 5

Caterpillars 120

Cat tail 161

Cedar waxwing 22

Chairinaker's rush 1 14

Cherry-trees, wild 72

Chestnuts 43

Chickadees 14, 22

Chickweed 18

Chicory CXIA-, 14,^, 178

Chipping sparrow 27

Choke-cherries 72, 150

Cinnamon fern 4q, 102. 1 16

Cin(iueloil I.XI\', 71

Clay-weed 50

Clematis 14c;, 177

Ckthra 110. 117, 145

ClilT-swallows 74

1S5

INDF

PAGE

Clintonia LVHI, 65, 6b, 163

Clover 79

busli 1 59

Clover-lieails '7°

M(Kid-ri-a '^^

Cutklc, c<irn '3'^

C'ljck^inir ihurn 'S^'

Cohosh, l.luu 51

Mack WXI. 134

Colic root '°3

Coltsfoot 50

Columbine I \V II, 57, 72

Comntiliiui ' S"*

Composite family I'l. i-7' H?. U^"'. '.s4' '73

Cone-tlower '^7

Corn ccjckle 13*'

Corpse plant '35

Cout;hwort 50

Cowhanc, spotted - - "7

Cranberries §5' "''

mountain ^5

Cranberry vines '"s. 108

Crinkle root V, 48

( rocus 32, 33

Crows '3

( yclamen 34i 85

C ynthia I^VII, 71

Cyperus, red rooted "5

Daffodil 32, 3^

DaiMCs 32. 34. 83, 128, 178

Michaelmas '5^

Daliha'la '''3

Dandelions 70, 1 2,8

Darninj^reedle '21

Day rtjwer 158

1 86

TAGE

DuUsotna 179

Disk flowers >27

1 lit'riny ' ?i9

IHidder '45

Do^; violets 59

Dogbane MIX, i,?7

Dogwood XIV, 71, 93, i<)2, 175

pink "^

red-osier "^ ^ • ' 5°

Dropsecd " S

DiUthman's breeches 72

^Me n*i. 133. i.>;

red-berried "2

Elecampane LXXVIII, 14S

Kims 7.2, 4.V 4> 4^

Enchanter's nightsh.ade M9

English sparrows 35

Eryli, iviiium "5

Evening' i)rinirose I.XX\ 1 1, 145, 1 73

day l)looming "3

Everlasting 'T^

early ^*

Eerns 102, 162, 177, 178

bladder S"

cinnamon 49, i'J2, i ih

interrupted 4", ' 02

marsh shield '"4, loS

New York shield '05

royal 'r>2. '09

rusty woodsia 47

sensitive lo^. "O

" Fiddleheads " 4<»

Field flowers ^3

Einch, purple ^7

1S7

INDKX

I ■ ,E

I'irt-wccd ('I\', 13(1, 1«>2

K1.il;, purjile *i<), S3

Kic;il>ane, salt mar'-h if)0

I'oain ttowcr (>l

Fiirci^u llinvcrs 23

Idx sparrows 26

I'ox^loVL', false l.WXIII, lOo

(leiii-ita, yellow ,^4

(ji->l/:,iltii /iiitjris 171

Gentians I ')S

closed CM, 1 70

five flowered 1 70

frin^jed CI. II, l''C)

lante-leaxed 17*3

suapwort 1 70

(ieraniiiiii, wild CX\. 69

Ceiardi.i. seaside I.::!, I'm

slender Ibo

C.in^or, wilil ClIW 53, 72

( ilasswort 17.?

Golden rod 10, 122, IJ5, 153. :,~,

lilue stemmed I 73

Canadian 155

elm leaved 1 55

lance leaved 155

fUKli '55

seaside 1 73

sweet 1 73

Gold fmcli 05

Gold thread 65

Goose- ijrass 175

CoackUs. purple 2'

( irape, wild 'G

< irass .if Parnassus N lA'I [,171

Grasspinli XCVIII, 103, no

188

INDKX

( /risse?

(ir.i- hiipiiers.
lirusl ' ik. . . .

PAGB
112, li;. 122
121

95

//,iheti,ina tndcnI.Ua 't)9

Ha«k '4

Hazel ^7

IkMth fimil> .U>5. ^''

Hellcbnre, false 44

lU ock !'•

u:u,-r >.-• '41

I IiTmit thi ..-h ''5. '»<>

Hickories 4.?

Hobbl. 1-ush '■•>■ ■''.?

.CM

ibo

H • peanut

II. ysutkle, l.iish I WI, 1.^5

while ^wanip X \ 1 1 1 . I lo, l,?3

Hoofs 50

Hop-clover, yellow ""^

Horse-f.iot 50

Huckleberry blossoms '^5

Hyacinth ^^

Hylas -7

Inilian cucumber-root l.X.OI

Imlian moccasin ' '

Iniiian i|ie

Incli;;o, will!

Inilit;o bird

Interrupted fern

Iron-weed

',13

34, '.U

M5

4c), 102

...CXl.lX, is'b is7

lack in-thepulpit ( I.V, ^4

jewel-weed l.XXVI. .22, 140. '75

Joe- I-ye weed t X V I, I4S. . ?4

Inncpiils, yellow

j uncoes

1S7

14. 2i

■ ♦ 1
I'

i . ,
f ■ I

in

INDI.X

FACE

KinliK ky j;r.i>N I lo

Kin;;KtN 2J

Kn:)t\vi-t(l, anijiliihious i6i

saiiil 1 73

l.ilira'lor tea \.W, 7,5

I.adits' Iro-.-rs \l.\l, 10 ^ 171

Lady's slipj.t.r, jiink \r, ()(>

shiiwy .\C\I. wO

yflluw I.M, »i7

I.ainbkill N(\', }<S

Larches MS

Laurel, mountain \ \ L ,^4, <S7

shefp 5, S8

'.aveiider. sta C'X LI M. 142

Leather wui id 51

Life everla^liiij; 171)

lily, meadow I.W, 1,50

lurk's-cap I \ X I L 116

water It)2

Wood (.' \ X L l.\2

yellow pond ihi

Lily family (14

Liiy of the valley, uilcl 65

Liii/iu.i 183

/■"Y.i/is LXXXV, <,o

Lion's foot 122

Liveiwort rXX\I, 2S, 14, 50, ;l, 52, i;7

Lolielia, ^reat Klue I 74

Loosestrife, four-leaved I,X\' 1 I, I ;7

purple (AH, 149

yellow LXNIIL 94. L"??

Lop-,eed 149

Lupine CXXXIII, 70

^/>n }i!t/i,-iinim 1 1 L (14, 6(j

Mallows, swamp 143

190

INDEX

TKcr.

M:il,lo kivs -'

Maples..'. 2'. ■>-• 5«' "'- '"''

tn"untain '*

striped '"

sii^;:ir ** ^

swanii) **

Marigold, Imr I.XWI, IS^. 174

mar.l, '•'■ «

Marsh ;;rass, smootli ' ' ''

M.irsli niariKoUls I'. 44

Mar>h rusciiiary '4 '

Mar>hSt, Jnhn's-wort »'X1I. "7, J■^2. U'l

Marsh shield fern '04. l"^

Mayapi^lf ^'' ''^

Meadow-hcaiity CM II, i lo

MiMdowdark -7

Mead.iwdily '-^ ^' ' '"

Meadow-parsnip "'• '-'^

Meadow rue, early 53

tall '33

Meadow sweet X X X V, 34. '''2

JA-,/^,'A; '»'

Milkweed ' ='»• '3°. 1 75

fourdeaved '3"

purple '2g

swamp '3"

Milkwort >^' '">■• '43. i«'i

Minis '5'»

M itrewort VIl I, *. i

M(jck bislujiiwecd '4^

.U,,:^srs 90

,-,.!fiJ'/r>:i ^^

Monkey-llower '45

Mourlaiul princess "4

Moosewciod 5 ' . I -

Muth-muUein '4^

191

INDKX

PAOE

M..iiiit.iiii-.i>.li j_j

M.Hinl.iin-t raiibfrry ,s;c

M I. iinl;i ill-laurel \.\ I, • i, S?

M(iinil:ii!i-pi:i|ilf «j

'^'""'■'" I \ \ 1 1 1, I (I,

"""'' 1 \.\I\, 111.

Mu-'i.uil laiiiitv I >< -I

\>u- Icr-ry fa \\|\, 154

\i u N Of 1, shiiM-fi rii jQr

N'iijhtiii';aio ,,

Z' '^ 34

Nii;htsh:i(lc, tncli.inUT's j .,,

\ullia!clius ,,

' '•'!< I'^-" '■'* 15,45

« >li\c-li:ii.kcil Ihnish " g^

<'''.lii(l^ (,, (,S, SS. 00. lo,;, 105, 144, i;]

( •rchi'-, puriili- !iini;iHl, ■.inalk-r 1 ,,,

r:ig^;c(! fringed ]., ,06. 1 1(,

^'"'"•y i.Nwvii, 48

'!'"■'■ t""ili''<l IOC). ii()

VL-llow frin-fd ,^4

I iri^ If yc

< i-,iir-i j-

('■"":>lJ,i ,„,^ if,2, i-H

I'ainlfd cup ( '\ I \, S4

I'liiii ;^'r:iss 11-

''•"'■i''' ,52, t.o

l',i[iIii)wsf'rool (.[

''■"■^''•y 142, 144

I'arslcy family 14T

I'aisr'p, nu-ail(nv ^j^ 1 -.^

I'artridm-vine \ \ X II, 4X, 91, 175

I artriili^'c^ g(j

Tea, beach i^,

192

INDKX

PAr.t

l'(:i family ' ?'*

rcaluitiy bird '7

1 c .Li.ut. hog ' '•"

Vu i<crel.\VfC(l « M ■ '4v ■"!

I'ink, Krass Xt Mil, i-.;, ii'>

sea ' l"^' '4'

wlM I.X.WIX. i>i. ''>

I'ink f.inuly '.^5

I'ipcwort '"'^

I'il.Ms.w:, \ XVII, X7

ritcli pine ' '

I'iiJier plant < X X, ><<»

I'oi-ion ivy X I I \, .(4

I'okf w.ed XX\I\, 177

l'oly^;ala, fringed XC HI. 0, ()-\ M,?

I'on.l lily, yt-Uuw '*"

Poplars '. 22,32

Primrose 34

evening lAXVII, I45, 173

t•venin^,•. day-Moominjj ^3

rrotoetivf mimicry ^7- "'^- '-•

PiiKe family 'SO

Piiri)le finch -7

Purple jjrackles ^3

Pvrola, onellowered ^''

I -y rolas ^<'

Radish, wild '37

Ka^^wort '• I •'*' • " '

Kasplierries '37

Rattlesnake fern 4'»

Rattlesnake root '74

K.Utk-snake weed I.XII, q4

Red root '34

Redstart ']>

Rhododendron XXII, HS

193

INDKX

I<hM,i.,r:i

kolmi-

k„ut leaves

KoHP, wild

KnsiTTiarv. nuirsh

Kny.ll Irrii

Rue. muuil'av . . . .

KusIrs

Kusiy woodsia . . .

.SH, Mil), 1 1(1

, U>2

PAi.E

14. ^2
'7
I i7
I4-!

Kl't

"5

I.WIl.

..CXII, 117. 14-!.

\ 1 1

Sa/if>iitia

chtoroidcs

St. Jnhn's-wtjrt

iiiiush

Sall-tnarsli Ileal .me

^iixifra^jf '

.V< n ['tis i \'p(i nuts

Si. I lavender CXI.IM,

Sea [links Cl.\,

Std^;cs "2-

Sellheul CXXXV.

Sen-ilive fern '°^'

Shad liush

Shee|i laurel XCV, 5,

Shecp-siirrel

Shield-lern, marsh •°4.

.New ^'l>rk

Shoolinj^-star

Shrubs, in winter

af Mil

ot .May

of lune

of Mid-.iininier
I

Silkw

Skulkai-, l.u -er CX X \

Skunk-<.alilia-e f 1. 1 1 1, 2

Smooth m ir>h tjrass

194

141
142
i.i7
it>i

lt)0

, S-
114
142
141
i>5

ISO

110
47

5
108

'"5

-s

16
72

')3

!. <H

;. 44

•«5

r

INDI-.X

fATt

Snakeroot, whiif X I.V, i ; S

Smiwljcrrv, crtepinj; 103

Snow-bunting 14

SoliJdxa I S4

Suldmoii's seal I.V, 64, 149

false X 1 , 64

Sonn-sparriw 25, iiz, no

Siirrel, slicfi) 5

woiiil 92, Ih3

Sparriiw, diiiipinj; 27

InKli^-li 35

(ox 26

son^; 25, 122, l!;o

Sptedwcii ex X \ 1 1, 18

piilers lai

Spide

Spirxa

Spring beauty I.XXX\'I

Spruces

S<|uirrel-ci irn

Star-llower Ill

Steeple-bush (.'\', 34,

Stick-ti^ht I. XXX,

Strawberries

wild 94,

Sugar maples

Sumach

staghorn

Sundew I05, 1 14,

Sunflowers I. XXIX, id, 154,

Swallow-worts

Swallows

barn

cliff

tree

Sw.imp-niallows

Swampwuod

"J5

S7
lb

S,?

<^5
"7
•74

35
172

43
168

150
116

'SS
130
no

74
74
74
M3
51

MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART

ANbl and ISO TEST CHART No 2

1.0

I.I

1.25

Im

■ 2^

III 2.5

r°

""*= iiiii^^

ilia 2.2

■ 36 =

1^

I.

Ui 2.0

1.8

1

1.4

!.6

^ APPLIED I^A^GE Inc

neslef. New rcru ' ■+»:.

':) 482 - 0300 - Phone

INDKX

Tanager, scarlet
Tansy

TAOE

•95. 133

li:

Thimble-weed \ \ X , 13b

Thistles I'o. '2*^, i;o. 175

Thorns 73

c(icks[)ur '50

white X\l, 175

Thrush, hermit 95. 96

olive-lMLlved 95

wouil 75

Thyme, wild ^3^

Tick-trefoil CXIII. 143, 149. 159. '75

Touch-nieiiot 17S

Trailing,' ;irliutus LXXXV, 28, 34, 47, 85

Tree-swallows 74

Trees, in winter I b- 1 7

blossoming S'^. 43

Trifoltitiii ittciirnatnm 82

Trillium, i.ainted 62

Tul

'I'

32

Turks-cap lily CXX II, 1 16

Turtle-head XLI, 1C2

Twij; ru>h 1 15

Twintlowers I. XXXV, 90

Twisted stalk 64, 6b, 149

Vernonia

Vervain, purple

Vetch, blue CXX XVII,

Viburnum XII, 93,

Violet, bird's-toot CXX VI I

blue

Canadian

do- CXXVIII

lance-leaved

long-spurred

196

158
146

134

175

60

58
172

. 59
bo
60

INDEX

I

PACE

V'iokt, round-k-aveJ 5°

sweet white ^^

yellow 5°. 58

Vireos 27, 74. 95

Virginia creeper '77

AVake-robin CXVIII, 53

^Varl>lers 27, (;S

Water-hemlock '37. '44

Water-lilies '^^

Waxwini;, cedar ^^

White-thorn ^^'I- "'J

Willow-herb '3*5

Willows "7. 22. 42. 43. 45

Winter buds '7

Wintergreeu NXVIII, 4S, 135

Witch-hazel 1. XXX IV, 176

Withe-rod 93

Wood-lily C- X X I , I ^2

Wood-s.jrrel '>2' '^-^

Wot d-thru-h 75

Woodpeckers 4

Woodsia, rusty 47

Yarrow '4'

Yellow-throat, Maryland 74. no

197

Books on Flowers, Animals
and Birds

CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS, Publishers

With 32 colored ^.dtes

ACCORDING TO SEASON

Talks about the Flowers in the order of
their appearance in the Woods and Fields

By FRANCES THEODORA PARSONS

Author of "How to Know the Wild Flowers," "How to Know the

Ferns," etc.

With 32 full-page illustrations from drawings in colors by
Elsie Louise Shaw. i2mo, gi.75 net; posta;^e
14 cents.

CONTENTS;

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V

VI.

Introductory

Winter

Early Glimpses

Spring in the City

A Spring Holiday

May Notes

XII.

VII.

VIII.
IX.
X.
XI.

Autumn

" The Leafy Month of

June "
A Long Island Meadow
Midsummer
Early August
Golden Rod and Aster

" The charm of this book is as pervading and enduring as
is the charm of nature." — N. Y. Times.

Mrs. Parsons's book is designed as a companion volume,
uniform in si/.e, to her extremely ])opular books, " How to
Know the Wild Flowers" and "How to Know the Ferns."
Miss Shaw's colored plates add greatly to the beauty and
serviceableness of the volume, the plan of which will appeal
to all nature-lovers. All of the colored plates are different
from those in the "Wild Flowers." Several of these
chapters were published a number of years ago in a small
volume, under the same title and without illustrations.

By Mrs. William Starr Dana

HOW TO KNOW THE WILD
FLOWERS

By MRS, WILLIAM STARR DANA

With 48 Colored Plates and New Black and White
Drawings, Enlarged, Rewritten and Entirely Reset

A Guide to the Names, Haunts, and Habits of our Native
Wild Flowen. With 48 full-page colored plates by
Elsie LouIoE Shaw, and no full-page illustrations
by Marion Satterlee. Sixtieth' Thousand.
Crown 8vo, $2.00 net.

This new edition has been enlarged, revised, and entiieiy
reset, the illustrations have been remade, and it has in addition
4& full-page colored plates from drawings by Miss Elsie Locise
Shaw, made especially for this edition. The Nation says :
" Every flower-lover who has spent weary hours puzzling over
a botanical key in the efforts to name unknown plants, will
welcome this satisfactory book, which stands ready to lead him
to the desired knowledge by a royal road. The book is well
fitted to the need of many who have no botanical knowledge
and yet are interested in wild flowers."

"lamdeliKhted with it. . . . It is so exactly the kind of work needed
tor outdoor (oiks who live in the country hut know little of systematic botanv,
that It IS a wonder no one has written it hefore."-iVi)n. Theodore Roosevelt.
It is not often that a book so suKgestive of pleasure, pure and simple,
comes our way. So far as we recall hooks on flowers, it is the first that makes
country walks an intelligent jov for those who know nothing of hotany but
who have eyes to see and minds to question."— 7"A<' New York Times.

" Kvery flower-lov'jr who has spent wearv hours puzzling over a botanical
key in the effort to name unknown plants, will welcome this satisfac torv book,
which stands ready to lead him to the desired knowledge by a roval road.'

— The Nation.

" It is exactly %vhat has long been wanted by one who loves nature and
lonjfs to be (ormally introduced— so to sneak— that is, to know her treaiure.s
by name, but who has not time to study ijoianv. V'our arrangement hy colors
IS a great help to ready reference, and the illustrations are iin.ifuahle."

— Olive Thome Miller.

" Mrs. Dana is a lover of outdoor life; her heart is in what she describes.
She has done well a piece of work which was well worth Ao'ms:,:'— The Critic.

"An excellent book, and cannot fail to bring about its obiect. Verv ex-
cellent illustrations, nearly all of which are original drawint;'. from nntiii.-. "

—Xature .W/cj, London.

By Frances Theodora Parsons (Mrs. Dana)

HOW TO KNOW THE FERNS

A Guide to the Names, Haunts, and Habits of our Native
Ferns. By Francks Thkodora Parsons (Mrs.
Dana). With 144 full-page illustrations, and 6 full-
page illustrations from photograplis. Crown 8vo,
$1.50 net.

"Since the publication, six years ago, of 'How to Know the Wild
Flowers,' I have received such convincing testimony of the eagerness of
natuie-lovers of all ages and conditions to faniili.irize themselves with
the inhabitants of our woods and fields, and so many assurances of the
joy which such a familiarity affords, that I have prepared this companion
volume on ' How to Know the Ferns.' It has been my experience that the
world of delight which opens befure us \\\w\\ we are admitted into some sort
of intimacy with our companions other than human, is enlarged with each
new society into which we win our way."— /^rum the Author's Preface.

" Of the ferns, as the flowers, she writes as one who not only knows but
loves them. The charm of her rern-book is as irresistible and pervading as
is the charm of nature itself. This gifted and enthusiastic naturalist knows
the ferns literally 'like a book,' ind her book makes the first lesson of the
novice in the lore of fern-life an easy and a delightful task."

—New \ 'ork Mail and Express.

" This is a notably thoroagh little volume. The text is not voluminous,
and even with its many full-page illustr.itions the book is small ; but brevity,
as we are glad to see so many writers on nature learning, is the first of virtues
in this field. . . . The author of ' How to Know the Ferns ' has mastered
her subject, and she treats of it with authority."— AVw York Tribune.

"The inspiration that entered into and made ' How to Know the Wild
Flowers ' so deservedly popular has not been lost in ' How to Know the
Ferns.' "—New York Times.

" After a delightful introductory chapter on ' Ferns as a Hobby,' the
author goes on to the explanation of terms, to the fertilization, development,
and fructification of ferns, the notable fern families, and the description of
individual ferns. The illustrations, by camera and pencil, are numerous and
exceedingly fine, completinj; a book that must prove a lasting delight to all
nature-lovers. "—.fi'(jT/(i« Evening: Transcript.

A SELECTION OF FIFTY PLATES

From "How to Know the Wild Flowers." Printed on
Special Paper suitahle for Coloring by Hand. The
set, in a portfoho, $1.00 net.

By Ernest Thompson Seton

LIVES OF THE HUNTED

Aiitlior of "Wild Animals I Have Known," etc. Illus-
trated with more than 200 drawings by the author.
Eightieth Thousand. S1.75 net ; /'jsta,i^f /j cfits.

CUNTKNTS:

Krag, the Kootciiav Ram.

A St jft Troubailuur, lii'iiiK tlii; Adventures of a Cock Sparrow.

Johiiiiv' Hear.

The Mother Teal aiiM the Overlaml Route.

Chink, the Develcpment of a I'up.

The Kantiaroo Rat. '

Tito, the Story of a Coyote that Learned How.

Why the Chickadee Cioe.s Cra/y Once a Vear.

OPINIONS

"Surely no more entertaining book could he devised for children of all
ages."— C//(i:i7A'i) Post.

"This story ('Krag') of the monarch of the Big Horn"! will strike the
average reader as among the hcst things that Mr. Seton-Thoni|ison has done."

-.V. }'. Tribune.

" The breadth of Mr. Seton-Tliompson's sympathv is the finest charm of
his viork."— Agnes Refplier, in Saturday Evening Pos.'.

" Every admirer of Ernest Seton-Th^nipson's animal stories will hail with
pleasure his new volume, ' Lives of the Hunted ' of the same nature as ' Wild
Animals I Have Known' and shows the same sympathetic insight and
genuine literary touch. His stories are as truly literature as 'The Jungle
Books.' "—Chicago kecord-Herald.

"It is a delightful volume, full of ". charm that will be felt all the more
keenly if the reader has any love for the wild lile of nature and finds pleas-
ure in everything that brings one in touch with her varying moods. It is one
of those unusual books in whose pages tlie older as well as the younger reader
feels equally at home. It is strong, vivid, full of fascinating description, and
breathes in every page a deep and reverent love of nature and of the myriad
life that rests in the care ot the angel of the wild ^.'D\w%^." —Brooklyn Eagle.

" The charming animal biographies which have made the name of Seton.
Thomjisnn famous the world over are continued in this volume with all the
spin' and truthfulness of their predecessors and the admirable drawings with
which the stories are illustrated are reproduced here with the perfect copying
eilected by the latest and best photo-print process.

—Philadelphia Hvenimr Telegraph.

WILD ANIMALS I HAVE KNOW .^

15eing the Personal Histories of I,o1jo the W'olt", Silverspot
the Crow, Raggyliii,' the Rabbit, Itingo my Dot;, the
Springfield Vox, '1 he I'acing Mustang, W'nlly the Yaller
Dog, and Redruff the Partridge. With 200 illustra-
tions from drawings by the author. One Hundred
and Fifth Thousand. Square 12010, $2.00.

CRITICAL NOTICES

*' It ihould be put with KiplinRand Hans Christian Andersen tin classic,"

— T^e At/ieniTum.

"Mr. Thompson is now drawing the best mammals of any American artist.
. . . Thit is artistic fidelity to nature in hiRli decree. . . . NothiiiK of
equal simplicity could be more effectiv* than these little mari;inal oddities and
whimsies. The book is thoroughly good, both in purpose and execution."

—Nevj York Evening Post.

"This book is unique in conception and Illustration. . . One of the
most valuable contributions to animal psychology and binRraphy that has yet
appeared. Mr Scton-Thompson is not only a naturalist and an animal artist of
very high attainments, but is mast''r of a literary style that is at once graphic
and fascinating. . . . The author of ' Wild Animals 1 Have Known ' is a
keen woodsman, as well as an accomplished artist and writer, and has given
uj a book that opens a new field to our vision."

—J. A. Allen in The American Naturalist.

" In its mechanical make-up the boot is a great success. The illustrations
by the author are among the best of modem book-niaUint; "

—Boston Universaiist Leader.

" Nothing apart from ' The Jungle Book ' has ever approached these tales
in interest, and the 200 illustrations add greatly to their charm."

—New fork World.

" The originality and freshness of these stories is irresistible. ... In
everything he does, Mr. Thompson has a way peculiarly his own. . . .
Even if naiied and unadutned, the facts he tells us would be very interesting ;
but when we have the tacts and the factors fairly dancing before us, clothed in
all the (juaint quips and droll persiHage of an accomplished humorist and born
ston,-telIer, thev are— as I have said— irresistible."— -I/r. IVilliam T, Horna-
day. Director N. Y. Zoological Park, in Recreation.

By Ernest Thompson Seton

THE TRAIL OF THE
SANDHILL STAG

Written and illustrated witli Tio drawing's. Square i2mo,

SI-50.

CRITICAL NOTICES

" One nf the most thoroughly nttraclive of iheaulumn books. . . . The
itory is almost too perfect a whok' to lend ifii If readily to quotation. . . •
A story to he read and re-read, rinding' frish l)c;iuty at each reading, and a
book well worth the owniiiR . . . It is impossible to write too highly of the
illustrations. Pictures which really illustrate are all too rare, and the combi-
nation of author-artist is usually a fascinating one."— AVw KtfrA Times.

" It is difficult to determine which gives one the most pleasure in a book
by Mr. Ernest Seton-Thompson— the aulhor-artist's narrative or the artist-
author's pictures. The two together certainly, as in the case of ' The Trail of
the Sandhill Stag,' unite to produce a singularly harmonious result. Mr.
Seton-Thompion can read the heart of the hunted animal as well as count the
pulse-beats of the huntsman himself, and in this tale is condensed the whole
tragic story of the chase. This double point of view is unique with this
writer."—" Droch " in Life.

" Bliss Carman, speaking of ' The Tr 1 of the Sandhill Stag." says ; ' I had
fancied that no one could torn h ' The Jungle Book ' for a generation at least,
but Mr. Thompson has done it. We must give him place among the young
masters at once.' And we agree with Mr. Carman." — 7"/4<; Bookman.

" Nothing more beautiful in a dainty way has been brought out in Canada. "

— Toronto iVorld.

" It gives us again glimpses of the life of animals that are astonishing fur
their delicacy of perception, and charming by the deftness of their literary
form"— AVu) York Mjil and Express.

"A breezy little narrative of outdoor life. . . . The author has cele-
brated the steadfast hunt and its interesting end with art and emotion"

—JVew York Tribune.

" Is a truly poetic bit of impressionistic prosv."— Chicago Tribtme.

OUR NATIVE TREES

AND HOW TO IDENTIFY THEM
Hy Harriet L. Kkki.kr. With 17.S lull-iatii- plates from
photographs, and 162 tcxt-drawjnys. Crown .Svd,
$2.00 net.

CRITICAL OPINIONS

C. S. SARGENT, Professor ,'f Aiboruulture tn il.irvard University:

"Of siK-li popular Ixj.ik-, Ur- liifM aiiil by far tlu' most inlcrestiiiK is l'\
Miss Harrii-t 1.. Kceler. . . . Miss Ki.c-!er's (Icscripliniis art rltar, LOni-
pacl, ami well arraiiKoii and the tei-linital matter is supplciiicntcd liy nuK li
intcrcstiiiv; ami reliabk- iiifcrmatini, cciiic-riiiiiK tht ecuTionucal u-.fs, llie
history aii'l the oriKiii of thu trees which she describes. Outliiu rltrAwiiii;s c,f
the flowers and of the friiiti of iiia-iy of the species, and heaiitiriillv repro-
duced (ullpa«e ph..loKraphic plates of the leaves ur of branch. s ol tlie pun-
cipal treci, lacililatc their ileternuiialion."

'■ The value of a hook of this character is not only enhanced by its
numerous illustrations, but positively ilependeiit upon them; those in the
prestm volume beinj; cjf unusual interest; and the book ... is one
which should add new interest to the comins; Summer for many to whom
nature is practically a sealed book, as well as hembteu the plea-ure of olheis
to whom she has lonn been dear."-iV. >'. Times Saturday Review.

OUR COMMON BIRDS

AND HOW TO KNOW THEM

By John B. Gk.\n't. With 64 full-page plates. Oblong
121110, $1-50 net.

PARTIAL LIST OI' PLATES: hoot OWL, Belted kingfishkr, wiiir-

pcjOR WILL. KINGBIRD, THrKUK, BLfH JAY, BOBOl.I.NK, .MLADOW' \KK, ORCHARD
ORlOLli, PCRPLE lIN-CH, RKD CROSSBILL, SSOWl- LAKl'., SSoWhlKl), SON(. SHAR-
KOW CARDINAL, aU.MMER KEDBI RD, CEDARlil RD, M A>,NaLI A W VRllLLK, U.'io WN
TIlRfSH, WINTER WREN, WOOD THRLSH, R.IHIN, and 42 Others.

"The book is learned, but not too much so for connnon use, anil, if
carefully studied, it will introduce the student into .hat interesting world of
bird life where a few favored mortals, such as the author, Kradb.rd Torrev,
Olive Thome -Miller and a small handful more, have wdn their way and
broui;lU back so much of deliRht. The book has more than si.xty plates of
the commoner American birds, with descriptions, and a very enjoyable and
instructive introductory essay."- 7"Af Congre.i^dtionalist.

" It K'ives plain, practical illustration regarding birds and how be=;t to study
them in their haunts and homes in the woods and fields. The plates adorn
the p-ages and give value to the concise, clearly written test."

Chic.i^v !itli-r-Oi:^Jn.

By H. E. Parkhurst

HOW TO NAME THE BIRDS

Illustrated. i6riio, leather, <;i.oo /;,•.'.

" Mr. I'.iikliui'.t I]. IS Kiiiipilcil a < unvi-iiiiTit poikft kuuIp In thehiriNi.l
tlie Niw KiiKi.ii.ll Sl.ii.s, New \i.ik, .Ni-w Jersey and I'l nnSNlvaiua He lias
Kt.-ally •.implilifrl tin- cnniiiii);! system of liinl cl.is.sifKati. -ti (ur lliel/exinin-i l.y
omillitiK sui h <lclails as are invisilile al firldraiiRe, and by fmpliasi/iriK sm h
I li.iracterjstiLS as lolDr, sue. ami lime uf appearance.' —AVi/fri/ 1'/ kevietvs.

" He has t^iveii to lijs tiook eyery advaiitauf essential to a plain, strai^ht-
(■'ivanl aetciunt of liunest observation." — A'. }'. 'I'ribune.

" TheadvantaKe of H. E. I'arkhurst's ' How to N.irne the Birds' is not
merely in its eoneise ind careful desenptive matler, but in its ti.rm. It is the
only book of tlie sort that one lan put into the pocket of an ordinary ( oat and
tarry into the woods and lields when he is away on his country rambles."

—■Brooklyn Iiaf^le.

SONG BIRDS AND WATER FOWL

Illustrated. 121110, ^1.50 net.

" This most entertainingly as well as carefully written ynluine has for one
of its best values the attention it x'ves to that most untrampltd, and yet
peculiarly alluriux domain of bird lore— the stream and the l.ike. the se.i-beach
and the wave. With this bo(k Mr. Parkhurst must receive lull confirmation
as otie of the most companionable and beKuiliiiK writers on birds."

—G. H: Cable.

" It will he welcome to the manv friends his former book made. The
illustrations are the finest that have ever been printed in this country in blai k
and white with exception of another series by the same artist, "—/'/ie Nation.

THE BIRDS' CALENDAR

Illustrated. i2mo, ^1.50 net.

"Acharmiiij; book. It contains a year's itidividual experience of study
and observation, the birds for each month beinx enumerated and described,
with comments on llieir characteristics and habits, and with very useful and
beautifully printed illustrnlions."— 77if Outlook.

CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS, Publishers
153-157 Fifth Avenue, New York