226 STUDIES IN THE FIELD AND FOREST. 



gerardia. But the glory of the meadows, during this 

 season, is the golden coreopsis, that rivals all other 

 plants by its superior gayety and brilliancy. Finally, in 

 the latter part of the month, when a greater part of the 

 floral beauties of the season have faded, comes forth 

 the blue-fringed gentian, having such extreme delicacy, 

 as to make one almost fancy, that the bosom of May 

 had been plundered of one of her proper ornaments, to 

 deck the hoary brows of autumn. 



The birds are almost silent; now and then we hear 

 one piping a few broken strains ; but he does not seem 

 to be pleased with his own song, and no one answers 

 him from his feathered comrades. Their season of 

 departure is near, and numerous cares distract the tune- 

 ful band. The swallows are now no longer seen to 

 skim with twittering flight along the surface of the 

 waters ; or sailing aloft in the air, to forewarn the 

 swain of coming showers. The little busy wren, one 

 of our latest warblers, is also silent, and all are slowly 

 leaving us one after another. It is a pleasant occupa- 

 tion to watch their various movements, their altered 

 manners, and their unwonted shyness. They sing no 

 more; but twitter, cherup, and complain, always in 

 restless motion, flying from tree to tree, like those pre- 

 paring for a long journey. 



But as the birds have become silent, the insect 

 myriads, having attained the full maturity of their 

 lives, are in glad chorus with all their little harps. The 

 fields are covered with crickets and grasshoppers, and 

 the whole air resounds with their hissing melodies. 

 This is the honeymoon of their transient lifetime, and 

 they are merrily singing their conjugal ditties, while the 

 autumnal frosts are rapidly approaching, to put an 

 end to their pleasures and to their lives. While chirp- 



