EARLY PLANTS.— HIGH WINDS. 
17 
changing season in this part of the country, is very little like the 
dehcate snow-drop, or the fragrant \iolet of other lands. Long 
before the earliest trees are in bud, or the grass shows the faintest 
tinge of green, the dark spathe of the skunk-cabbage makes its 
way in the midst of snow and ice. It is singular that at a mo- 
ment when the soil generally is frost-bound, any plant should find 
out that spring is at hand ; but toward the close of February, or 
beginning of March, the skunk-cabbage makes a good guess at 
the time of the year, and comes up in marshy spots, on the banks 
of ponds and streams. With us it is almost a winter plant. The 
dark spathe or sheath is quite handsome, variegated, when young, 
with purple, light green, and yellow ; Avithin it grows the spadix, 
not unlike a miniature pine-apple in shape and color, and covered 
with little protuberances, from each of wliich opens a purple flower. 
Although a very common plant, many pei-sons familiar with its 
broad glossy leaves in summer, have never seen the flower, and 
have no idea how early it blossoms. Its strong, offensive odor is 
better known ; an American botanist has observ'cd, that “ it is ex- 
ceedingly meritorious of the name it bears but this seems too 
severe, since a harsher thing could not well be said of a plant. In 
the neighborhood of the village, it has been up these three weeks, 
but the flowers open slowly. 
Saturday, 25th . — High wind from the south this evening; om- 
highest winds are generally from the southward. The withered 
leaves of last autumn are whirhng, and flying over the blighted 
grass of the lawns, and about the roots of the naked trees — a 
dance of death, as it were, in honor of winter as he passes away. 
Monday, 2*1 th . — A flock of wild pigeons wheeling beautifully 
over the mountain this afternoon. We have had but few this 
