814 
XXII. 
OCTOBER 1st. 
Beautiful Hues of the Forest in Autumn. — Cause of the fall of Leaves — 
Leaves as Manure — Parasites on Leaves. — Butternut. — Shrew. — Bul- 
rushes — Singular downy Heads — Used to make Beds. — Wild Geese — 
Migration. — -Vegetation of a Head of Grass. — Snow in September. — 
Crimson Underwing. — Fire-flies. — Brood of Bugs. — Beetles. — Cater- 
pillars. 
Father. — How gorgeously is the forest now adorned 
with the most splendid colours ! our woods in autumn have 
a glory that perhaps no part of the old world can boast. 
Charles. — I had often read of the splendour displayed 
by the American forests in autumn^ but the reality exceeds 
my expectation. Every part of the woods is glowing in an 
endless variety of shades : brilliant crimson, purple^ scarlet, 
lake, orange, yellow, brown, and green ; and looking from 
this hill over the tops of the trees, as far as the eye can reach, 
the same bright hues are to be seen ; the shadows of the 
passing clouds, playing over the vast surface, now dimming 
the tints, now suffering them to flash out in the full light of 
the sun ; here and there a large patch of sombre evergreens, 
making the dark parts of the picture : — the whole forest is 
become a gigantic flower-garden. 
F, — By far the greatest proportion of the more glowing 
colours is the production of the sugar maple, and other species 
of the same genus ; the leaves of these display all shades of 
red, from deepest crimson to bright orange ; which generally 
occurring in large masses, not in individual detached leaves. 
