JUNE. 151 



yellowish green of the willows and thorns, the purple 

 of the sumach and the various hues of other sprouting 

 foliage have ripened into a dark uniform verdure. The 

 grass as it waves in the meadows, gleams lil^e the bil- 

 lows of the. ocean ; and the glossy surfaces of the ripe 

 leaves of the trees as they tremble in the wind, glitter 

 like millions of imperfect mirrors in the light of the 

 sun. The petals of the fading blossoms are flying in 

 all directions, as they are scattered by the fluttering 

 gales, and cover, like flakes of snow, the whole surface 

 of the orchards. The flowers of innumerable forest 

 trees are in a state of maturity, and the yellow dust 

 from their flower-cups, scattered widely over the earth, 

 may be seen after showers, covering the edges of the 

 beds of dried water-pools, in yellow circular streaks. 



The pines and other coniferous trees are in flower 

 during this month ; and the golden hues of their blos- 

 soms contrast beautifully with the deep verdure of their 

 foliage. These trees, like others, shed their leaves in 

 autumn ; but it is the foliage of the preceding year that 

 falls, leaving that of the last summer still upon the 

 trees. This foliage is very slowly perishable, and covers 

 the earth where it falls, during all the year, with that 

 brown, smooth, and fragrant carpet, which is so charac- 

 teristic of a pine wood. Among the flowers which 

 are conspicuous on this brown matted foliage is the 

 purple ladies-slipper, whose inflated blossoms often burst 

 upon the sight of the rambler, as if they had risen 

 up by enchantment. In similar haunts the trien- 

 talis, unrivalled in the peculiar delicacy of its flowers, 

 that issue from a single whorl of pointed leaves, sup- 

 ported upon a tall and slender footstalk, never fails to 

 attract the attention of the botanist and the lover of 

 nature. 



