A DECEMBER RAMBLE 325 



Red Admiral or Brimstone Butterfly adds pleasing 

 colour and life to the scene before us, whilst on 

 many a bank and through the woodland glade 

 the beautiful fresh green of several Mosses looks 

 strangely out of place as compared with the brown 

 and yellow tints more generally observable. The 

 many species of Fungi and their wonderful colour- 

 ings must also not be overlooked at this season. 



Our last observations in bringing to a conclusion 

 this necessarily restricted survey of November's 

 wild life shall be accorded to the evergreen Ivy 

 and Holly. Well may we sing with Charles 

 Dickens anent the first-named: — 



Whole ages have fled and their works decayed, 



And nations have scattered been; 

 But the stout old Ivy shall never fade 



From its hale and hearty green. 

 The brave old plant in its lonely days 



Shall fatten upon the past: 

 For the stateliest building man can raise 



Is the Ivy's food at last. 



VIII. A DECEMBER RAMBLE 



A great many people are of opinion that a field 

 naturalist's calendar of operations commences 

 when the first green flush of Spring is approaching, 

 and ends when the sere and yellow leaves are 

 strewing the paths during Autumntide. 



