268 STUDIES IN THE FIELD AND FOREST. 



foliage, and causing the different trees to shed their 

 leaves in natural succession. Though November is the 

 time of the true fall of the leaf, yet many trees cast off 

 their vesture in October ; but some of the oaks usually 

 retain their brown, rustling foliage during the whole of 

 the winter ; and many are the birds that find beneath 

 them a comfortable shelter from the storm. The wil 

 lows and many of the fruit-trees retain their verdure 

 to a late period in the autumn, and shed their leaves 

 only upon the arrival of winter. In the low grounds, 

 there is little foliage to be seen after the middle of Oc 

 tober. At that time, if we stand on a moderate eleva 

 tion, commanding a view of hill, valley, and plain, we 

 may observe the naked and desolate aspect of winter 

 in the swamps, where the frosts make their earliest visit; 

 while on the uplands and hill-sides, the woods are still 

 in almost full foliage. 



The flowering season closed with the last month ; yet 

 sometimes after a spell of mild weather, especially after 

 a drought, a few spring flowers will appear, and we ob 

 serve a second blossoming of some of the boughs in 

 ^the orchards. A few asters are still seen in the woods, 

 and here and there, on the green southern slopes, a vio 

 let looks upon you with its mild blue eye, like a star of 

 promise, to remind us of the beauties of the next re 

 viving spring. There is a kind of melancholy pleasure 

 attending a ramble at this time, among the fading 

 woods and pastures, while we take notice of the 

 changes of the season, and of the care with which 

 nature provides for the preservation of her charge, dur 

 ing the coming season of cold. All sounds that meet 

 the ear are in harmony with our feelings. The breezes 

 murmur with a plaintive moan, while shaking the drop 

 ping leaves from the trees, as if they felt a sympathy 



