1056 



THE NATURE BOOK 



A LOVELY VIEW ALONGSIDE THE MAIN WALK IN REGENT'S PARK. 



trees ; to hear the songs of thrush and 

 blackbird, and the coo of the ring-dove ; 

 to watch the half-tame squirrel stealing 

 near to the passer-by in hope for crumbs 

 or a nut, all the time with his eyes brimful 

 of apprehension and nimble feet ready for 

 an instant dash to the sheltering tree. 



One naturally makes for the most 

 distant part, as promising greater quiet, 

 and the extreme northern side, bordering 

 the Regent's Canal, is perhaps the most 

 countrylike scene that can be found in 

 the Park. A little thread of path runs 

 along by the waterside, and the trees that 

 grow on the steep banks are large and 

 restful ; whilst the beams of the setting 

 sun, made more mellow by the veil of 

 London smoke through which they pass, 

 suffuse the foliage and bathe the trunks 

 with golden light. I have seen a sycamore 

 here on a May evening, before the leaves 

 were fully grown, and with its horizontal 

 branches thickly hung with bloom, struck 

 through in a moment by these level rays, 

 and all its yellow clusters lit up with 

 magic fire. The effect lasted but a few 

 minutes, but was of rare beauty, and an 



example of the " infinite variety " which 

 those will find who watch and wait amongst 

 the trees. An opposite effect of darkness 

 is given by the sycamore in August twi- 

 lights, when its grand trusses of foliage 

 look sombre and hea\y, as if carv^ed out 

 of solid masses of verdure. 



There are great ash trees here, but the 

 ash does not seem right to me in a London 

 park ; it is an austere, lonely tree, and 

 belongs to remote and silent places, to 

 distant upland pastures, or to the green 

 banks which separate the farthest plough- 

 fields from the downs ; grey and orange 

 lichens born of sunshine and pure rains 

 should grow upon its trunk, and the 

 complaining plover wheel her evening 

 flight about its head. 



A delicate sense of fitness should direct 

 the planting of a park. There are many 

 and beautiful forms of vegetable life 

 which are quite in keeping with human 

 neighbourhood, and are able to rub 

 shouklers with a crowd with little loss 

 of individuality or charm. The elm 

 as a household tree ; chestnuts, hmes and 

 sycamores as belonging to the garden ; 



