NOVEMBER 



Looking across this woodland valley, a quarter 

 of a mile wide, how rich those scarlet oaks em- 

 bosomed in pines, their bright red branches inti- 

 mately intermingled with them 1 The pine-boughs 

 are the green calyx to their red petals. Or, as we 

 go along a road in the woods, the sun, striking end- 

 wise through it, and lighting up the red tents of 

 the oaks, which on each side are mingled with the 

 liquid green of the pines, makes a very gorgeous 

 scene. Indeed, without the evergreens for con- 

 trast, the autumnal tints would lose much of their 

 effect. 



THOREAU: Autumnal Tints. 



Occasionally, when threading the woods in the 

 fall, you will hear a sound as if some one had 

 broken a twig, and, looking up, see a jay pecking 

 at an acorn, or you will see a flock of them at 

 once about it, in the top of an oak, and hear them 

 break them off. They then fly to a suitable limb, 

 and placing the acorn under one foot, hammer 

 away at it busily, making a sound like a wood- 

 pecker's tapping, looking round from time to time 

 to see if any foe is approaching, and soon reach 

 the meat, and nibble at it, holding up their heads 

 to swallow, while they hold the remainder very 

 firmly with their claws. 



THOREAU : The Succession of Forest TreeB. 



