82 



AUTUMN AND WINTER 



a little by the faint blue of the harebell. These breadths of 

 scabious blossom are one of the most characteristic features 

 of the September flora ; they draw multitudes of early 

 autumn butterflies, and nod with a drowsy murmur beneath 

 the weight of the bumble-bees. The haze that dims the 

 blue of September skies is reflected in the prevailing colour 

 of the flowers beneath. They too have lost the cerulean 



HAREBELL 



freshness of the spring bluebells and speedwells, and seem 

 dimmed with the age of the year. 



Deeper and duller, but still of the same general purplish 

 hue, are the flowers of two species of gentian which bloom 

 in early autumn on chalky hills. The smaller species, usually 

 known as the field gentian, is often very abundant, embroider- 

 ing the turf of the downs with its short, stiff stems, and heads 

 of blossoms cloven into four points. They are often found 

 half-closed, but expand in bright sunshine. The larger, or 

 autumnal, gentian is a scarcer plant, growing to a foot in 

 height, and easily distinguishable from the largest specimens 

 of the field gentian by the corolla being divided into five 



