A Quest of Fall Berries 



pods, whose curling edges revealed the scar- 

 let seeds within. Intermingled with the 

 stems of bittersweet, but climbing higher, 

 and spreading even over the top of the sur- 

 rounding thicket, were the vines of the 

 moonseed, holding their scattered blue-black 

 berries in small, loose clusters. I was pleas- 

 antly surprised to find the bunchberry 

 growing close to the water's edge, just over 

 the wall, and pushed my way through the 

 vines to gather a handful of the pretty red 

 berries, so like coral beads. 



I found hawthorn and dogwood bushes 

 growing by the sides of the road, soon after 

 I left the brook. I was glad to get the beau- 

 tiful light blue berries of the dogwood, so 

 unlike any I had yet found ; and the scarlet- 

 spattered sprays of hawthorn made a fine 

 display on top of the basket. 



I found one other white berry during my 

 ramble the white baneberry, not as clear 

 and transparent in color as the snowberry, 

 nor as solidly white, as it is marked by a 

 single obscure, cloudy spot near one end. 

 But it is beautifully oval in shape, and hangs 

 from the parent shrub in feathery clusters 

 that delight the eye. 



