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XXII. 



OCTOBER 1st. 



Beautiful Hues of the Forest in Autumn. — Cause of the fall of Leaves — 

 Leaves as Manure — Parasit-es on Leaves. — Butternut. — Shrew. — Bul- 

 rushes — Singular downy Heads — Used to make Beds, — Wild Geese — 

 Migration. — Vegetation of a Head of Grass. — Snow in September. — 

 Crimson Underwing. — Fire-flies. — Brood of Bugs. — Beetles. — Cater- 

 pillars. 



Father. — How gorgeously is the forest now adorned 

 with the most splendid colours ! our woods in autumn have 

 a glory that perhaps no part of the old world can boast. 



Charles. — I had often read of the splendour displayed 

 by the American forests in autumn, but the reality exceeds 

 my expectation. Every part of the woods is glowing in an 

 endless variety of shades : brilliant crimson, purple, scarlet, 

 lake, orange, yellow, brown, and green ; and looking from 

 this hill over the tops of the trees, as far as the eye can reach, 

 the same bright hues are to be seen ; the shadows of the 

 passing clouds, playing over the vast surface, now dimming 

 the tints, now suffering them to flash out in the full light of 

 the sun ; here and there a large patch of sombre evergreens, 

 making the dark parts of the picture : — the whole forest is 

 become a gigantic flower-garden. 



F. — By far the greatest proportion of the more glowing 

 colours is the production of the sugar maple, and other species 

 of the same genus ; the leaves of these display all shades of 

 red, from deepest crimson to bright orange ; which generally 

 occun'ing in large masses, not in individual detached leaves. 



