the purple sloe on the blackthorn, and the bright berries of the privet, elder, bryony, holly, honeysuckle, and woody nightshade, together with those of the ivy, which ripen later, afford food for our winter-birds. Few flowers are

Fungi, such as
The shedding

to be seen in this month. The woodbines, and some others, blow a second time, but have no scent. mushrooms, toadstools, &c., are numerous. and scattering abroad of the seeds of wild plants takes place chiefly in October: some have wings, others are carried away by currents, others planted by birds: many acorns are sown by squirrels, and cucumbers set by bees.

THE name of this month is taken from novem, the Latin name for the number nine. The Saxons called it Windmonath, on account of the stormy and boisterous weather which generally accompanies it; and Blot-monath, cr the blood-month, from the quantity of cows, sheep, and pigs, which they killed now, to be salted for winter-provision.

November is generally a gloomy and foggy month. Many wild creatures now retire to their winter-retreats. The wood-pigeon, or stock-dove-the latest of our wintervisitors-appears at the end of the month, before which

the silk-tail, golden plover, and pochers, are seen. The salmon now ascends the rivers to spawn; wild animals put on their winter-coats; and the Alpine hare, which abounds in Scotland, becomes white. Moles make the nests in

which they lodge during the winter; the frog hides itself in the mud at the bottom of ponds and ditches; the lizard, the badger, and the hedgehog, creep into holes in the earth, and remain torpid till the spring; bats get into old barns and caves; squirrels, rats, and field-mice, shut themselves up with their winter-provisions; and the dormouse begins its winter's sleep. November is a busy farming month. The farmer finishes his ploughing and sowing; winter-fallows are turned up, and the fields drained; cattle and horses are taken into the farm-yard; sheep are sent to the turnip-fields; bees are put under shelter; and threshing begins. Forest and fruit-trees are planted, and timber felled. Few flowers are to be seen-here and there a solitary blue-bell, dead-nettle, and groundsel. The gardens have still the China-rose in bloom.

1 This bird sometimes appears in England in April, after a hard winter. One was shot upon the Wiltshire Downs a few years ago in that month, after a long-continued frost.

THIS month is named from decem, ten, being the tenth month in the old calendar. It was called by the Saxons Winter-monath, and after their conversion to Christianity Halig-monath, or the holy month, on account of the birth of our Saviour celebrated in December. In this month the Romans held their Saturnalia, or games and holydays in honour of their goddess Vesta. Among the early Britons the Druids held their feast of Thor, called Guild or Iol, whence comes the word yule. Many curious customs were formerly common, as to yule-cakes and the yule-log-a block of wood got on purpose for the Christmas-fire.

The 21st of December is the shortest day in the year.

The winter now seems to be fairly set in, and this is a very cold, comfortless month. We have often nightfrosts and storms of snow; but seldom a continued frost before January. Scarcely any birds but grosbeaks, swans, ducks, and geese, are to be seen. The grey-plover leaves us on the first of this month. Such of the squirrels, hedgehogs, water-rats, and field-mice, as have not become torpid in November, now retire to their holes. Cattle and sheep require great attention in feeding and sheltering. Sheep are generally left out in the fields, and without care might be smothered by snow, of which storms sometimes come on suddenly, accompanied by high winds, which drift it into heaps. The farmer is also employed in threshing, winnowing, sacking, and carrying the corn to market; and the gardener in matting and protecting trees and plants from the cold, and preparing the ground for the labours of spring. The evergreen-trees, such as firs and pines, with their cones, are now much valued. The oak, beech, and hornbeam, keep some of their leaves. The scarlet berries of the holly, the branches of pyracantha, the laurustinus, and the mosses and lichens, are now in great beautv.