INDIAN CORN. 143 



welcome they had so loudly sounded, and that when 

 the woodman's axe was heard, the ancient tenants 

 of the soil drooped and withered, or retreated from 

 the sight and sound of strangers, as if they could 

 not endure to see the soil which they had occupied 

 for ages, thus despoiled. 



The Squirrel tribe, which is found in every part 

 of North and South America, is associated with 

 the 4 Indian corn or Zea, which equally endures 

 the extremity of cold or of heat. We have noticed 

 that the Squirrel is admirably constructed for 

 the kind of life which it has to lead, and that the 

 colour of its fur changes in cold countries at the 

 approach of winter, while in the sunny portions of 

 the globe, no variation is perceptible : that further, 

 as the animal might experience considerable incon- 

 venience in descending head foremost, after eating, 

 down the trunk of trees, the throat is peculiarly 

 narrow. Equally curious is the construction of the 

 Zea, and its adaptation to the sites which it has to 

 occupy; beautiful, too, is the effect produced by a 

 field of Indian corn, when waving in the summer 

 breeze, and spangled with morning dew. Ex- 

 quisite is the variety of tints of blue and white, 

 of yellow, red, and green, and speckled, now se- 

 parated in long ridges, and now mingled by their 

 contiguous growth. No object is more pleasing to 

 the eye, than one of these richly variegated fields, 

 especially when surrounded with a belt of deep 

 dark forest-trees, in striking contrast to the rainbow 

 tints that wave beneath them. And if the whole is 

 beautiful, how curious is the formation of each 

 separate ear, clothed as it is, and armed with strong 



