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become the instructors of man, and the sceptic might be sent to the brutes to learn wisdom, as well as the sluggard to the ant to be taught a lesson of industry. Brutes, in general, possess the most exquite sense of smelling, and are led by it, principally, in their choice of food; had there not, then, been some method devised, by their beneficent Creator, to enable them to distinguish those different species of plants, which so nearly resemble each other, that they cannot be distinguished by the sight, they would have been in continual danger of perishing, by seeking their repast among those which, to their particular species, would prove inevitably fatal.

Warm weather is, generally, established in June, yet the heat is rarely excessive:-showers of rain are very acceptable at the commencement of the month, as they tend to promote the growth of the young herbage.

The fields of clover (trifolium pratense), which are now in blossom, produce a delightful fragrance. Of this plant there are two varieties, the white and the purple; from the latter, the bees extract much honey. The bean blossoms also shed a still more exquisite odour.

Among the insect tribe, one of the most interesting is, in its perfect state, the angler's may-fly (ephemera vulgata), which appears about the 4th, and continues nearly a fortnight. It emerges from the water, where it passes its aurelia state, about six in the evening, and dies about eleven at night. Innumerable species of insects are called into life by the heat in this month. Among the most remarkable may be named the grasshopper (gryllus), the golden-green beetle (scarabæus auratus), various kinds of flies; the cuckoo-spit insect (cicada spumaria), and the stagbeetle (lucanus cervus).

The several species of the gad-fly (oestrus bovisequi-and ovis), the ox, horse, and sheep gad-fly, make their appearance in this month. The female of

this genus is remarkable for the manner in which she deposits her eggs: having fastened on the back of a heifer or cow, by means of a tube she pierces its skin in several places, inserting an egg at each puncture. This operation is not performed without severe pain to the animal on which it is practised, and it is for this reason that cattle are observed to be seized with such violent horror when apprehensive of the approaches of the female oestrus; flying with uncontrollable rapidity, and endeavouring to escape their tormentor by taking refuge on the nearest pond; it being observed that this insect rarely attacks cattle when standing in the water. The practice of docking horses, or depriving them of their tails, is, in many cases, both cruel and unnecessary, and takes away the only weapon with which they can combat the approaches of their insidious enemy.

About the beginning of the month, the pimpernel (anagallis arvensis), thyme (thymus serpyllum), the bitter sweet nightshade (solanum dulcamara), white bryony, the dog rose (rosa canina), and the poppy (papaver somniferum), have their flowers full blown ; and the fern owl may be seen, in the evening, among the branches of oaks, in pursuit of its favourite repast, the fern-chaffer (scarabæus solstitialis).

Towards the middle of the month, wheat is in ear, and the flowers of the valerian (valeriana officinalis) begin to open. Mullein, viper's bugloss (echium vulgare), borage, dog-wood, vervain, the vine (vitis vinifera), water hemlock (phellandrium aquaticum), and that singular plant the bee orchis', have their flowers full blown.

This flower has a spot in its breast resembling a bee, sipping its honey.

See on that floweret's velvet breast

How close the busy vagrant lies!

His thin-wrought plume, his downy breast,

Th' ambrosial gold that swells his thighs.

The summer solstice happens on the 21st of June, which is the longest day. In the most northern parts of the island, there is scarcely any night at this time, so that a person may read with ease at twelve o'clock at night; the twilight continuing almost from sunrise to sun-set:

The light with kind delay prolongs his reign:
The solemn midnight wears unusual smiles,
If midnight we may name, where softer shades
Lend only milder beauties.

The following plants are generally seen in flower about the end of June; goats-beard (tragopogon pratense), deadly nightshade (atropa belladonna), meadow-sweet (spirea ulmaria), the day-lily (hemerocallis Alava), the jasmine (jasminum officinale), and the holy-oak (alcea rosea).

The several kinds of corn come into ear and flower during this month, as well as most of the numerous species of grasses; gooseberries, currants, and strawberries, also begin to ripen. The hay harvest commences about the end of the month, in the southern and midland parts of the kingdom. About this time, also, birds cease their notes:- -I heard no birds after the end of June (says Mr. Stillingfleet), except the stone curlew (charadrius ædicnemus) whistling late at night; the yellow hammer, goldfinch, and goldencrested wren, now and then chirping. The cuckoo's note also ceases. The rural employment of sheep-shearing commences sometimes early in June, but at others not till the middle of the month; the time being regulated by the warmth and settled state of the weather. In many parts of the country, the depriving sheep of their wool is conducted with much ceremony and rural dignity. There is a beautiful description of this festivity in 'Dyer's Fleece,' at the end of the first

Perhaps his fragrant load may bind

His limbs; we'll set the captive free-
I sought the living bee to find,
And found the picture of a bee!

LANGHORNE.

book.

Thomson thus describes the washing and

shearing of sheep, in his SUMMER:

Fast, fast, they plunge amid the flashing wave,
Aud, panting, labour to the farther shore;
Repeated this, till the deep well-washed fleece
Has drunk the flood, and from his lively haunt
The trout is banished by the sordid stream:
Heavy and dripping, to the breezy brow
Slow move the harmless race; where, as they spread
Their swelling treasures to the sunny ray,
Inly disturbed, and wond'ring what this wild
Outrageous tumult means, their loud complaints
The country tell; and tossed from rock to rock,
Incessant bleatings run around the hills.
At last, of snowy white, the gathered flocks
Are in the wattled pen innumerous pressed
Head above head; and, ranged in lusty rows,
The shepherds sit and whet the sounding shears.
Some mingling, stir the melted tar, and some
Deep on the new-shorn vagrant's heaving side
To stamp his master's cipher ready stand;
Others th' unwilling wether drag along;
And, glorying in his might, the sturdy boy
Holds, by his twisted horns, th' indignant ram.

Much amusement may be derived from an attentive observation of the common white or barn owl, during the mild evenings of this month. The following curious circumstance is recorded by Mr. White', of a pair of white owls, which bred under the eaves of the church. 'About an hour before sunset (for then the mice begin to run) they sally forth in quest of prey, and hunt all round the hedges of meadows and small enclosures for them; beating the fields over like a setting-dog, and often dropping down in the grass or corn. I have observed these birds for an hour together, during the breeding time, and have found, by my watch, that the ow! returns every five minutes with her prey. A piece of address which they show, when they return loaded, should not, I think, be passed over in silence. As they take their prey with their claws, so they carry

Nat. Hist. of Selborne, vol. ii, pp. 259, 260, 8vo ed. 1813.

it in their claws to their nest; but as their feet are necessary, in their ascent under the tiles, they constantly perch, first on the roof of the chancel, and shift the mouse from their claws to their bill, that the feet may be at liberty to take hold of the plate on the wall, as they are rising under the eaves.'

While the Moon, with sudden gleam,
Through the clouds that cover her,
Darts her light upon the stream,
And the poplars gently stir,
Pleased I hear thy boding cry!
Owl, that lov'st the cloudy sky,
Sure, thy notes are harmony.
While the maiden, pale with care,
Wanders to the lonely shade,
Sighs her sorrows to the air,

While the flow'rets round her fade,-
Shrinks to hear thy boding cry,—
Owl, that lov'st the cloudy sky,
To her it is not harmony!

While the wretch, with mournful dole,
Wrings his hands in agony,

Praying for his brother's soul,

Whom he pierced suddenly,

Shrinks to hear thy boding cry,—
Owl, that lov'st the cloudy sky,-
To him it is not harmony 1.

Mackerel (scomber, scomber) are taken in great abundance in this month. The long migration of this fish seems at present to be greatly called in question; and it is thought more probable, that the shoals which appear in such abundance round the more temperate European coasts, in reality reside, during the winter, at no very great distance, immersing themselves in the soft bottom, and remaining in a state of torpidity. From this state, it is reasonable to suppose, they are awakened by the warmth of the returning spring, and gradually recover their former activity. At their first appearance their eyes are observed to be remarkably dim, as if covered with

'These pleasing stanzas are by an early anonymous poet, and may be found in Mr. Ellis's Specimens,' vol. iii, p. 351.

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