262 BERTHA'S VISIT TO HER 



France, but in England they are stationary. In Si- 

 beria, they are the forerunners of summer ; and 

 in France, they announce the approach of winter. 

 Now that they are busy building their nests, 

 they make a noisy, hoarse cawing, which I have 

 not yet persuaded myself to like ; but it is agreea- 

 ble to Mary and Caroline I suppose, because it 

 is united in their minds with the idea of spring, 



2lst. After sitting a little time with my aunt, 

 who, I am delighted to tell you, is much better, I 

 had a botanising walk with Miss Perceval. What 

 a very agreeable companion she is ! 



She told me that few countries, so limited in 

 extent, comprise such a variety of plants as the 

 British islands. Yet few of them are peculiar to 

 these countries : those of our southern districts 

 may be almost all found in France and Germany ; 

 those of Scotland are nearly common with the 

 productions of Sweden and Denmark; and our 

 elevated hills supply a vegetation similar to that 

 of Norway and Lapland. The climate of Ireland 

 varies so little from that of the corresponding 

 parts of England and Scotland, tlicxt there is 

 scarcely any difference in their native plants. 

 She mentioned, however, two; the menziesia 

 polifolia, or St. Patrick's heath, and the saxi- 

 fraga geum, with its varieties, which are found 

 wild in Ireland only. I reminded her of the 

 arbutus, but she seemed to doubt that it is a 



