THE YEAR 1825. 395 



so parched as never properly to recover their ver- 

 dure, and in the ensuing spring I missed these gay 

 and pleasing flowers in my borders. 



It was a sad destructive season for the poor but- 

 terflies, and no sooner did a specimen appear upon 

 the wing, than the swallow and all the fly-catching 

 tribe snapped them up, rendered eager and vigi- 

 lant from the scarcity of insect food. Even that 

 active and circumspect creature the humming-bird 

 sphinx could not always, with every exertion of its 

 agility, escape their pursuit. 



Early in August rains fell, and continued season- 

 ably until September; and their effect upon our 

 scorched vegetation, from the general heat of the 

 earth and the air, was extremely rapid. The larch, 

 and other trees which had shed their leaves, now 

 put forth their tender green foliage as in spring ; 

 and by the end of September the universal verdure 

 of the country, and profusion of feed in the pas- 

 tures, was so perfectly unlike what we had been 

 accustomed to in common years, as to be astonish- 

 ing. Even as low in the year as the llth of Octo- 

 ber, there was no appearance of any change in the 

 foliage, except a slight tinge upon the leaves of the 

 maple ; and this day was so brilliant, that the cattle 

 were reposing in the shade, the thermometer vary- 

 ing from 66 to 68 F., and the general warmth 

 to our feelings was greater than that indicated by 

 the instrument. October the 20th, the weather 

 changed, some sleety rain fell, and the hills were 

 sprinkled with snow, the thermometer falling to 



