108 
GLACIAL PHENOMENA IM MAINE. 
pie beech, or a background of dark green 
pines. Familiar as we all are with the brill¬ 
iancy of the autumnal foliage in the neighbor¬ 
hood of our towns, one must see it in the 
unbroken forest, covering the country with 
rainbow hues as far as the eye can reach, in 
order to appreciate fully its wonderful beauty. 
A few words on this change of color, which is 
as constant as any other botanical character 
(each kind of tree having its special tints 
peculiar to itself, and not reproduced by other 
kinds), may not be amiss. Indeed, not only 
does every species have its appointed range of 
color, but each individual tree has its history 
told more or less distinctly in the ripening of 
the foliage. A weaker or a younger limb may 
have put on its autumn garb, and be almost 
ready to drop its leaves, while the rest of the 
tree is untouched. A single scarlet maple or 
red oak often gives us the most beautiful 
arrangement of tints, from the green of mid¬ 
summer, through every shade of orange and 
red; in the same way one leaf may ripen 
unequally, its green surface being barred or 
spotted with crimson or gold for days before 
the whole leaf turns. These differences give 
