fcf MAY. 



Warm with new life thy glitt'ring throngs, 

 On quiv'ring fin and rustling wing, 



Delighted join their votive songs, 



And hail thee goddess of the Spring." 



MAY has ever been the favourite month of poetic 

 description, as uniting all the soft beauties of spring 

 with the radiance of summer; but this must be in 

 more southern climes than ours; for with us great 

 part of the month is yet too cold for a perfect enjoy- 

 ment of the charms of nature, and abounds with 

 chilling blights and nipping winds: 



" The blast that riots on the spring's increase." 



The month of May, however, is profuse of beauty ; 

 the earth is now covered with the freshest green of 

 the grass and young corn, and adorned with nume- 

 rous flowers opening on every side The trees put 

 on their leafy verdure ; the hedges are rich in fra- 

 grance from the snowy bloom of the hawthorn ; and 

 the orchards display their highest beauty in the deli- 

 cate blush of the apple blossoms. 



The leafing of trees is commonly completed in 

 this month. It begins with the aquatic kinds, such 

 as the willow, poplar, and alder, and ends with the 

 oak, beech, and ash. These are sometimes very 

 thin of foilage even at the close of May. 



Birds hatch and rear their young principally du- 

 ring this month. The patience and assiduity of the 

 female during the task of sitting upon her eggs, can- 

 not be too much admired ; nor should the conjugal 



Y 



