154 THE MUSIC OF WILD FLOWERS 



the autumnal equinox. The delicate crimson of its 

 fruit, with the dark green leaves behind it, present as 

 pleasing an effect as any to be met with in a winter's 

 ramble. Moreover, the song-thrush and the mistletoe- 

 thrush love to feed upon its berries, and the golden- 

 crested wren to play among its branches. And in prais- 

 ing the yew-tree we must not forget its humble relative, 

 the lonely juniper, which gives distinction to many a 

 chalk down and barren hill-side. The dark, glaucous 

 hue of its foliage can be recognised at some distance, 

 and, like the yew, it also bears berries, " greene at the 

 first, but afterward blacke, declining to blewness, of a 

 good savor, and sweet in taste." 



The wealth of our winter foliage is further increased 

 by the extraordinary luxuriance of ivy, which " climeth 

 everywhere," on trees, old buildings, and walls, and 

 often covers wide stretches of ground. Belonging to 

 that order of plants which, as an old writer says, " have 

 need to be propped up, for they stand not of themselves, " 

 the ivy is seen in its greatest perfection when it has 

 taken possession of some spreading pollard-tree. Then 

 it is that, " sending forth a multitude of little boughes 

 every way, whereby, as it were, with armes it creepeth 

 and wandereth far about, and bearing small and mossie 

 flowers, which in due course produce bundles of black 

 berries," the birds of the air love to lodge in the branches 

 of it. It is not the " owl " only that seeks the shelter 

 of the " ivy-bush," or, in spite of the assertion in an 

 ancient carol, that deigns to feed upon its berries. 

 When the haws along the hedgerows have disappeared, 

 and the berries of yew and privet, of mountain-ash 

 and mistletoe have been consumed, then do thrushes 

 and blackbirds and wood-pigeons resort to the ivy 



