26 



SHARP EYES 



whole broods of merrymakers like themselves, though 

 scarcely as moderate in their doings. Let us look at 

 that maple frolic once more. How has it progressed ? 

 "On with the dance! On with the dance!" seems to 

 have been the cry during all these weeks, until now the 

 woods are full of their wild capers. It is no mere quiet 

 and contained exuberance now, but a veritable bal 

 masque, with reel and rigadoon, in which no two of the 

 participants seem to be of the same mind in whim or 

 costume or etiquette, while half of them have literally 

 lost their heads, and the other half their characters, so 

 that I fancy their own mother-tree above 

 them would scarcely recognize the flutter- 

 ing progeny that she sowed upon last 

 summer's breeze. They are indeed a 

 droll and whimsical lot, this troop 

 beneath the maple-tree. Surely 

 this pretty revelry is more than 

 seeming. It is not easy to con- 

 sider it as a mere exhibition of 

 germinating seeds. To the poet 

 and the philosopher it brings its 

 most precious message. 

 What to the botanist? 

 Considered as mere quick- 

 ening seeds, they offer 

 many interest- 

 ing facts to the 

 student; and 

 inasmuch as 

 they illustrate 

 the beautiful 

 plan of seed- 



