726 



THE NATURE BOOK 



wind and the softening of the frostbound 

 earth. Slowly the crisp white covering 

 melts awa}" — what wondrous profusion 

 of young and tender green points peep- 

 ing above ground ! The}^ could not push 

 forth fast enough, all the hosts of little 

 seedhngs, all the sprouts of springing 



SUNSHINE AND SHADO'*' IN THE LARCH WOOD. 



herbage. Dog-mercury plainly visible 

 among the withered woodland leaves ; 

 the flower spathe of the wake-robin hurry- 

 ing before the arrow-fasliioned leaf ; and 

 in the glades the chaste white snowdrops, 

 pleading for spring. 



Effulgent beamed the fitful sun. Tran- 

 sient rays, not with much power but 

 with magic touch, bringing expectancy 

 upon the face of Nature. " Phew ! " 

 whistled the starling, the prolonged ex- 

 clamatory whistle, and forth from his 

 tuneful throat came the gurgling notes 

 of vernal prophecy, sounds of pure joy. 

 Gladdening to watch him so jubilant in 

 the welcome ifood of genial sunshine. 



Is there any bird more optimistic ? No 

 seasonal mood so sullen or so surly that it 

 can crush all hope from out the starhng's 

 breast. He broods no cloud, sees ever the 

 blue beyond, expresses it in his tremulous 

 melodies through the dullest hours. 

 Ethereal mildness, breath of reviving 

 spring ; the old fly felt it and 

 staggered forth, weak- jointed 

 and feeble, from the dark cre- 

 vice in the wall. The passing 

 sunshine hastened the trans- 

 formation of the bulb tips into 

 white-striped spears and green 

 expanding blades. It warmed 

 the young perennial shoots 

 coming fast about the old 

 shrunken stems and opened 

 the golden discs of the early 

 coltsfoot and the dandelion. 

 It flowered the burn-sides with 

 the lilac-pink of the butterbur, 

 and decked the hillside hazels 

 with drooping yellow catkins. 



Some withered leaves rustled 

 mysteriously among the roots 

 of the beech hedge. Cautiously 

 a small quivering snout ap- 

 peared, sniffing the air with a 

 fine precision. But the grubs 

 would be scarcely fat enough 

 and beetles few, so he would 

 sleep yet awhile : knowing 

 hedgehog ! 



Clouds of gathering grey 

 blotted out the sun. Suddenly 

 the wind rose, whirling the 

 snowflakes and scattering the 

 finches chittering along the 

 hedgerows. Once again all 

 Nature mantled white, and everywhere a 

 solemn stillness, unbroken save by sounds 

 of muffled wheels and querulous call of 

 bird. And through many da3^s, but little 

 to be pencilled in the record of outdoor 

 hfe. 



With what joy did one hail the un- 

 mistakable signs of coming change, the 

 breaking up of the leaden sky into patchy 

 sunlit clouds borne onward on the south- 

 west wind. 



It was pleasant to see the sun-tinged 

 raindrops falling, pleasant to feel again 

 the enhvening touch of the balmy breeze. 

 There might yet be storms to come, 

 chilling showers of sleet and teaiing. 



