BROCKENHURST TO BURLEY AND BINGWOOD. 83 



rolling forest the brown expanse of Heather 

 stretching away to the north until it is bounded 

 by the dark-green lines of wood on the high 

 grounds; to the east, the village of Brocken- 

 hurst ; to the south, rolling open heath ; to the 

 west, brown, heathery uplands ; and, just below 

 us to the south-west, a belt of Oak and Beech 

 wood. 



The autumnal colouring of the Bracken is seen 

 with much effect during a long walk across a 

 forest. On its glades, in its depths, and on its 

 open heaths, this beautiful Fern abounds, and in 

 the early Autumn its fronds are variously affected 

 according to the position in which they are 

 growing. Here and there it has not lost the 

 depth of its summer green. But in strong con- 

 trast to this verdancy some fronds on the same 

 plants have turned to a dark, rich brown, others 

 are straw-coloured, and others almost golden in 

 their dying glow. Then there are splendid hues 

 of orange, spread, sometimes sparingly and some- 

 times largely, upon clustering Bracken fronds, 

 and now and then the same plants may include 

 all these shades and colours. Not unfrequently 



