202 
THE CANADIAN NATURALIST 
out a portion of its caloric to the air at its surface^, the strata 
of which, as they become heated^, rise in little waves or 
ripples. The same thing may be seen around the pipe of a 
heated stove in our rooms, arising from the very same 
cause. 
C. — Let us stay, and again admire the beautiful river, 
so calmly flowing : how brightly is the furnace-glow of the 
western sky imaged in the smooth mirror ; every twig of 
the overhanging birches, every leaf of the quivering poplars, 
is perfectly reflected. Every now and then a trout snaps at 
some unfortunate fly, but makes so little splash that the re- 
ceding circles scarcely break the surface. Clouds of gnats 
are dancing in the evening beam, and here is a little cluster 
of Ephemerce, playing in mazy circles over the water which 
has just given them birth, and which will presently be their 
grave. 
F. — There is a great difference between the feelings 
excited by the beginning and those by the termination of the 
day. In the early morning, the brightening tvv^ilight, the 
rosy east, the uprising sun, the dewy grass, the awakening 
birds, all contribute to give an exhilaration and a gaiety to 
the spirits, that impels us to shout and leap for mere joy- 
ousness of heart. How different are the feelings at 
this evening hour I Although the setting sun is as bright 
as the rising, the sky as gorgeous, and the appearance of 
nature in most respects the same, yet there is an indescribable 
touching of sadness and melancholy, which comes over the 
spirit ere we are aware. Perhaps the difference exists more 
in ourselves than in the external world ; perhaps there is an 
unacknowledged tinge of weariness, a feeling of vanity in the 
daily pursuits ; or, perhaps, there may be an unconscious 
association of the departing day, with the passing away of 
all earthly things. 
