248 COUNTRY RAMBLES . 



from some eminence, and notice the lately-erected haystacks, and the 

 farmhouse almost invariably near at hand. The brown haulms of the 

 Potatoes in the fields cannot escape attention, neither the droppings 

 of the Rabbits by the path skirting the field. 



Skylarks were continually passing overhead this morning, twittering 

 pleasantly; Jays screaming in the woods frightened a little brown 

 Wren out of its hiding-place in the bracken. Elderberries quite 

 black; Dog's Mercury mostly died right down in the woods. The 

 green seed-pods of the Broad-leaved Helleborine noticed; the contents 

 of the vessel is a pithy, light brown, dust-like composition. The black 

 spots on the Sycamore leaves to be seen; also the white and yellow 

 Hazel leaves in the woods In the open spots in the woods it is 

 nearly all yellow and brown, in the shady places it is still quite green. 

 The deaf ears and the blind eyes of the unobservant and the un- 

 interested hear and see not the wonders of the country-side. What 

 pleasures they miss! Shakespeare says, and very truly, too, that 



"There are tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, 

 Sermons in stones, and good in everything." 



Fruit of Spruce Fir growing rapidly; many species of Fungi 

 noticed, and some beautiful Mosses. The Ferns pull up much easier 

 now than a little while back. Walking rapidly along, the gentle wind 

 seemed to force into my mouth an insect of some sort, but I have 

 not yet resorted to an insectivorous diet. The red berries of the 

 Wild Guelder Rose are about now, and also many Small White 

 Butterflies and Grasshoppers still to be seen. 



There was a beautiful sunset this evening at six o'clock. Just 

 after that hour, high up in the West, there were clouds of dark grey, 

 with a tinge of mauve colour. Then a very light blue came to view, 

 with a floating island of dark grey again. Then lower and almost 

 on the horizon, a delicious strip of dark pink, and to the left faint 

 orange, producing a beautiful effect, which so "The Wonderful 

 Century" teaches me we owe in a great measure to dust! 



24th. Dull and raining. Mostly dull and cheerless all day. 



25th. Bright, with a blue June sky. Heavy dew. Robin and 

 Skylark singing. Still no Swallows or Martins to be seen. Chaffinches 

 "pinking" near the garden. Saw a couple of Barn Owls to-day at 

 the local Taxidermists. He tells me he has more of these birds 

 brought to him than any others. One of the specimens he showed 

 me was an old bird, and had a beautiful speckled breast, and was 



