LEAFLESS WOODS. 11 



ground strewn with dead leaves, and the naked 

 forms of trees, are all that the unobservant 

 pedestrian sees in his walks through wintry 

 woods. Except in search of sport, and, then, gun 

 in hand, he does not attempt to walk through 

 when the ground is covered with snow, and frost 

 holds the air. When the air is crisp and the 

 ground is dry he will often do so, but in search 

 of exercise and not of beauty. Yet the careful 

 study of winter woodlands is delightful. Gilpin, 

 in continuing the remarks just quoted, provides 

 some pleasant suggestions for the early riser on a 

 winter day. ' The hazy sunshine of a frosty 

 morning,' he says, ' is accompanied by an indis- 

 tinctness peculiar to itself. The common hazi- 

 ness of a summer day spreads over the land- 

 scape one general grey tint ; and, as we have had 

 occasion to remark in different circumstances, is 

 often the source of great beauty. But the effect 

 we are here observing is of a different kind. It is 

 generally more partial more rich and, mixing 

 with streaks of different coloured clouds, which 

 often form behind it, produces a very pleasing 

 effect. The case is, the sun is lower in the 



