THE BLOSSOMING OF AUTUMN. 25 



close examination, in the parts which contribute 

 to the whole; for unless closely and carefully 

 examined the especial beauty of these parts is 

 found to be lost in the general effect. 



But the beauty of colour in autumnal leaves is 

 made up, so to speak, of many more elements 

 than is the beauty of the same leaves in spring or 

 summer. As in the mass the later aspect of 

 foliage is more varied and striking than its aspect 

 in spring or summer, it would seem that there 

 should, of necessity, be greater variety in the parts 

 which contribute to the general effect. And so it 

 is in fact. In the mere shades of what is roughly 

 described as 'green,' there is almost infinite 

 variety and far greater charm than the unob- 

 servant even suspect. What to the eye, at a 

 distance, seems absolute uniformity of colour is 

 really made up of a large number of insensible 

 gradations. Most of these can be easily seen on 

 close examination. Apart from these differences, 

 which require a certain degree of study to dis- 

 cover, there are the much more broadly apparent 

 changes of hue produced by age. The tender, 

 glossy, almost golden, leaf of spring merges in- 



