297 



delight to grow in gravel, and wliicli help to make " the 

 desert" gay now appeared in profusion ; and divers shrubs 

 fringing the sides and steep banks showed how kindly Na- 

 ture covers up the intrusive works of man and throws into 

 the air her waving branches and green twigs from seeds 

 borne by winds or wintry storms. The road-bed of rail- 

 roads show many a novel feature in the way of botany, and 

 the naturalist can find on denuded rock or gravelly track, 

 strange and rare doings after nature's fashion. Witness how 

 soon the pines spring up there, and willows are sown in 

 straight lines, as if by hedge-makers. And how nobly the 

 blackberry beds itself, all laden with tempting fruits, and 

 how pearly everlastings greet the traveller in their perennial 

 purity. Of such chance willows we encountered a superb 

 cluster of the Salix lucidus, such as would grace any gar- 

 den or gentleman's private grounds. 



It was now past noon ere we met our main party, who, 

 arriving in later trains, entertained itself as before described. 

 Grouping themselves after their own tastes it was a pleasant 

 sight to witness the encampment of so many, in a grove at 

 the crossing of the Newburyport turnpike and the old coun- 

 ty road. The thoughtful attention of friends near by, fur- 

 nished ample table accommodation, with refections of tea 

 and coffee and such harmless liquids, to eke out the pic-nic 

 feast. After an earnest discussion of the viands and exam- 

 ination of the interesting premises, the afternoon meeting 

 was held at 3 o'clock in the District School House, which 

 had been tastefully trimmed and ornamented with wreaths 

 of evergreen, of oak leaves and flowers. 



The Chairman of the meeting, Rev. John L. Russell, Vice 

 President of the department of Natural History, offered a 

 few remarks as introductory and in accordance with his 

 feelings awakened by being on the spot, which not only told 

 of a hero of the Revolution but came nearer to him in re- 

 membrance of a friend. Well and pleasantly could he recal 



ESSEX INST. PROCEED. VOL. ii. 38. 



