132 LETTERS TO MARCO xx 



afforded to mark well both the shape and 

 varied colour of the bird. I believe that the 

 extreme suddenness of the pleasure we enjoy 

 at the beauty of the sight causes us uncon- 

 sciously to exaggerate the shortness of the 

 period of enjoyment. 



The mild weather, which has been so 

 remarkable, still continues. The various 

 anomalies amongst the flowers in my garden 

 are very curious, I might even term them 

 anachronisms. Thus I have Christmas roses 

 and sweet peas in bloom at the same time. 

 I picked quite a nice bunch of these latter 

 two days ago. Primroses, polyanthuses, 

 violets, and pansies are flowering freely. Out- 

 door chrysanthemums still go on. Several 

 strawberry plants are in full bloom ; even 

 fruit in some cases being quite large, though 

 green. I picked one or two blooms of the 

 bloody cranesbill and of the sweet-scented 

 evening primrose, CEnothera odor at a. Tea 

 roses keep throwing out buds and flowers. 

 A blue perennial lupin has been blooming 



