256 Weld Life in a Southern County. 
off by the trees and underwood, it becomes quite 
summer-like, and the leaves turn to their most 
brilliant hues. The stems of.the bracken are yellow ; 
the fronds vary from pale green and gold, commingled, 
to a reddish bronze. The hawthorn leaves are light 
yellow, some touched with red, others almost black. 
Maple bushes glow with gold. Here the beeches 
show great spots of orange; yonder the same tree, 
from the highest branch to the lowest, has become a 
rich brown. Brown too, and buff, are the oaks ; but 
the tints so shade-into each other that it is hard to 
separate and name them. 
It is not long before sounds and movements indi- 
cate that the forest around is instinct with life. Often 
it happens that more may be observed while stationary 
in one spot than while traversing a mile or two; for 
many animals crouch or remain perfectly still, and 
consequently invisible, when they hear a footstep. 
There is a slight tapping sound—it seems quite near, 
but it is really some little way off; and presently a 
woodpecker crosses the open, flying with a wave-like 
motion, now dipping and now rising. Soon afterwards 
a second passes: there are numbers of them scattered 
about the forest. A clattering noise comes from the 
trees on the left—it is a wood-pigeon changing his 
perch ; he has settled again, for now his hollow note 
is heard, and he always calls while perching. A loud 
screeching and chattering deeper in the forest tells that 
the restless jays are there. A missel-thrush comes 
