84 AUTUMNAL LEAVES. 



the lower part of a frond is green and fresh, 

 whilst its upper half is coloured brown and orange 

 and gold. 



Our road, as we continue it, takes us through 

 a narrow belt of forest Oak, Beech, Scotch Fir, 

 and Holly where the ground is spread with 

 Bracken, and the Heather flowers contrast with 

 rich patches of Tormentil blossom. Emerging 

 from the wood we again enter upon a tract of 

 open forest, and ascend its rising ground. At 

 the highest point of the upland we get a fine 

 prospect, away to the north and north-west, of 

 the undulating surface of the forest. The distant 

 woods are irregularly and picturesquely broken 

 the separate masses of dark verdure being thrown 

 up into greater relief by the mistiness which, as 

 we look, is lying in the hollows between the 

 knolls on whose crests the trees are gathered ; 

 whilst, over the foreground of the landscape, the 

 spreading expanse of brown Heather is relieved 

 by the dark-green heads of Gorse. Away in the 

 west a great bank of empurpled cloud appears as 

 if it touched the forestal horizon, whilst, stretch- 

 ing along and over the lower clouds, a streak of 



