130 A NOVEMBER CHRONICLE. 



beai'ing fresh-looking flowers. Nor are they 

 the only plants that seem thus impervious 

 to cold. The prostrate young St. John's- 

 wort shoots, for instance, all uncovered and 

 delicate as they are, appear not to know 

 that winter with all its rigors is upon them. 



It was impossible not to sympathize ad- 

 miringly with some of my belated asters and 

 golden-rods. Their perseverance was truly 

 pathetic. They had been hindered, but 

 they meant to finish their appointed task, 

 nevertheless, in spite of short days and cold 

 weather. I have especially in mind a plant 

 of Solidago juncea. The species is nor- 

 mally one of the earliest, following hard 

 upon Solidago Canadensis^ but for some 

 reason this particular specimen did not be- 

 gin to flower till after the first heavy frosts. 

 Indeed, when I first noticed it, the stem 

 leaves were already frost-bitten ; yet it kept 

 on putting forth blossoms for at least a fort- 

 night. Whatever may be true of the lilies 

 of the field, this golden-rod was certainly a 

 toiler, and of the most persistent sort. 



Early in the month the large and hardy 

 Antiopa butterflies were still not uncommon 

 in the woods, and on the 3d a delightful, 



