THE I'OEJilST. 295 



guished in a general muster.* In many situations 

 it appears to great advantage ; but particularly- 

 growing round the stem, as it often does, of some 

 noble Oak, on the foreground, and filling up all 

 the space to his lower boughs. In summer it is 

 a fine appendage; and in autumn its brilliant 

 leaf and scarlet berry make a pleasing mixture 

 with the wrinkled bark, and hoary moss, and 

 auburn leaves of the venerable tree which it en- 

 circles. The Hawthorn, too, performs the same 

 office with good eflFect. Though as a single bush 

 it is sometimes offensive ; f yet entangled with an 

 Oak, or mixing with other trees, it may be 

 beautiful. 



Nor are shrubs alone useful in harmonizing the 

 forest; the larger kinds of weeds and wild 

 flowers have their ejEect in filling up the smaller 

 vacancies near the ground, and add to the 

 richness of the whole. Among these, the heath, 

 and broom, with their purple and yellow tints, 

 the foxglove, with its pale red pendent bells, the 

 wide-spreading dock, and many of the thistle 



* See page 131. t See page 133. 



T 



