1883.] FOREST BAUBLES. 



hot glow of sunshine all nature seemed to sleep — save perhaps some 

 huge trout, whose broad black back would disturb tlie glassy 

 calmness of the lake as he rolled over in porpoise-like gambols — or at 

 sunset, when the superb colouring of rose and purple and green and 

 gold in the western sky was reflected in long miles of glistening water, — 

 the scene presented natural beauties of infinite charm. It would be 

 difficult to give a definite opinion as to which of the forest trees pre- 

 dominates in this district, though my ideas incline in favour of tlie 

 Scotch Fir; but the forest is decidedly patchy. For a couple of miles, 

 to the southward Silver Birches are most commonly found, and 

 amongst them a few Spruces rear their stately shafts, whilst here and 

 there are scattered groves of Scotch Fir. The undergrowth of Alder 

 and Juniper is in places diversified by the graceful nodding foliage of 

 the Poplar [Populns tremula), trees of which, in favoured spots, attain 

 a robust growth and considerable altitude. Ferns flourish vigorously^ 

 bracken growing waist-high, and grand clumps of lady-fern being 

 very common, whilst the elegant little oak and beech ferns peep out 

 in tiny groves under the shelter of the huge grey rocks. The floor 

 of the forest, too, is by no means devoid of other colours than green ; 

 for the delicate hues of the forget-me-not, the heavenly blue coronets- 

 of the cornflowers, the large white and yellow stars of the ox-eye 

 daisies, the deep purple scahius, the blue caps of Canterbury bells 

 the white and yellow snap-dragons, and the exquisitely graceful hare- 

 bells — make bright parterres amongst banks of ferns, mosses and 

 lichens ; and everywhere the scarlet, white, and brown heads of various 

 species of fungus appear above the coarse grass and drifted leaves. 

 Edible mushrooms are extremely common in Finland, and excellent 

 to boot, and we but seldom sat down to a meal at which they were 

 not served. Amongst the birds we observed were mallard, black- 

 cock, heron, hawk, magpie — almost as common as in Norway — 

 fieldfare, crow, chaffinch, siskin, titmouse, flycatcher and wagtail. 

 On several occasions I could not help remarking the silence prevalent 

 in the forest — on two sunny afternoons especially. At one time I 

 •was at the head of a bay, commanding a view over many miles of lake 

 and coast-line, with the forest at my back ; at another, on a country 

 road with farms to the eastward and forest to the west. On each 

 occasion not a breath of wind stirred the foliage or rippled the water, 

 and I listened intently for several minutes, and yet failed to catch the 

 faintest sound — even the hum of an insect — to break the absolute 

 death-like stillness. After the roar and hurry and bustle of cities,, 

 to gaze on one of Nature's fairest landscapes and note down on one's 

 mental tablets all the glories of lake and island, forest and farm-land^ 

 under a cloudless sky in perfect silence, was to me an inexpressible 

 relief. 



