210 LAND OF THE LINGERING SNOW. 



shaped racemes drooped under the weight of 

 rain. The perfume of this tree is, at certain dis- 

 tances, akin to that of the heliotrope. White 

 and purple violets, star-flower, chokeberry, false 

 Solomon's seal, fringed polygala, and dwarf cornel 

 blossomed by thousands on every side. Brakes 

 were just opening, many being still coiled, wait- 

 ing some elfin touch to expand, but the ferns 

 were present in force. They are one of the 

 triumphs of nature. Numerous in species, ex- 

 quisite in form, tender in color, graceful in mo- 

 tion, harmless in growth, wholesome in odor, sen- 

 sitive yet persistent, refined yet abundant. Some 

 of them perish at the first frost, as for example 

 the onoclea ; others like the Christmas-fern and 

 polypody remain green and buoyant all winter, 

 even when half buried in snow or covered by ice. 

 The coloring of the osmunda regalis as it un- 

 folds is in beautiful contrast to that of the other 

 osmundas, the former being light red, salmon 

 colored, orange, or even bright red, and the lat- 

 ter silvery green. Bird voices were not quenched 

 by the rain. The harsh squawk of the night-hawk 

 came from the mist ; hermit thrushes sang in 

 damp balsam cloisters, chimney swifts sprinkled 

 the air with their small notes, and the thin voices 

 of warblers were heard in every thicket. Here, 

 as in Cambridge, the migration seemed to be 

 over and resident species present in full force. 



