THE FAERY YEAR 



at such a stroke. The trunk of the oak is only 

 flayed in its outer parts by this scourge of fire 

 the wound never reached the vitals. 



The Large Heath Butterfly 



The large heath is one of the butterflies which, 

 at rest, are thought to resemble closely their en- 

 vironment, as various caterpillars do. Though 

 common along the hedgerows, it is quite a typical 

 butterfly of English woodlands. There is a 

 favourite path of mine where companies of large 

 heaths have danced away the summer. It is in the 

 true coppice of scented hazel. The underwood 

 lies on either side of the winding, quiet way. 

 There is noble undergrowth of brake fern- 

 beginning now to lean over and turn sere with 

 bramble and bent. 



The dim track is half carpeted with moss. At 

 its edge grows the creeping St. John's wort, besides 

 stiff upright species of the plant which are among 

 the first wood things to wear the hectic red leaf 

 of decay ; in contradiction the oak stoles can 

 show the high-polished red leaves of their young 

 vigorous shoots, for there is more of spring in 

 September than meets a casual glance. It is the 

 very woodland path along which, later in the 

 year, to carry a gun ; hope of woodcock, certainty 

 of wood-pigeon, makes such a saunter for sport 

 alluring in autumn. But there is no thrall of 

 216 



