NOVEMBER IN NEW ZEALAND. 
109 
John’s wort, orpin, white lilies, and such like, garnished upon 
with garlands of beautifull flowers, had also lamps of glasse, with 
oyle burning in them all the night : some hung out branches of 
iron, curiously wrought, containing hundreds of lamps lighted at 
once.” 
In imagination I walked through the streets of London, with 
the bonfires blazing up on every side, whilst down each thorough- 
fare poured the long procession of the watch, with their flaring 
cressets ; the hundreds of little lamps twinkled like stars above 
the gateways and dark entrys, and golden sheaves of St. John's 
wort waved above each door ! Then I glanced down at the 
flowers I held in my hands. Here, at least, was an earnest of 
the past ; and so long as the flowers of St. John open their 
bright buds, the customs of our forefathers on the vigil of his 
festival can surely never pass altogether out of mind. 
I could still see the smouldering glow of the bonfire, but the 
shouting was over, and not a sound broke the stillness except the 
occasional sleepy chirp of a startled bird, or the shrill, almost 
imperceptible cry of a bat flitting by in grey transparency. 
Half-dried grass and drooping daisies lay in long ridges in the 
deserted hay-fields, and pale fingers of honeysuckle could dimly 
be seen in the luxuriant hedgerows, and the sweet circles of 
wild roses. The scent of the newly-mown hay, of honeysuckle 
and sweetbriar, filled the air, and the dewy freshness of night 
descended upon the quiet country. Presently a star appeared 
in the tender blueness of the sky, whilst a glow-worm lighted 
its lamp for my benefit in the grass by the wayside. Johannis 
gleimchen — Johannis wiirmchen ! 
C. H. 
Exmouth, S. Devon. 
NOVEMBER IN NEW ZEALAND. 
HIS is the busiest month of the year, the period in which 
the wool harvest is gathered. Usually the weather is 
dry, but this month has been an exception to the rule, 
and continuous rain has brought on weeds of all kinds. 
Piripiri is one of the worst of these. It is a burr growing a 
few inches high ; the seed is armed with barbed hooks that 
cling to the wool, and this season owing to the long shearing in 
certain parts the still undipped sheep are quite red along the 
neck and sides. Long-haired collies, too, get very much 
plastered with it. We have three varieties of piripiri, one rather 
a handsome plant with a larger head and purple-coloured hooks. 
Owing to its barbed seeds this weed spreads very fast on newly 
broken in ground. Other plants of the same nature such as the 
