are very acceptable at the commencement of the month, as they tend to promote the growth of the young herbage. The innumerable beautiful herbs and flowers which, at this season of the year, meet our eye in every direction, appear designed only to ornament our earth, or to gratify our sense of smelling; but, upon a more intimate acquaintance with their peculiar properties and operations, we find, that, while they contribute to embellish our gardens, they also promote the purification and renovation of the atmosphere, which becomes contaminated from various causes. 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. Poor Insect! what a little day And yet you spread your feathers gay, A trout shall lay thy beauty low, The signal of thy overthrow, Then spread thy little shining wing, Hum on thy busy lay! For man, like thee, has but his Spring, Like thine it fades away1. Among the most remarkable of the insect tribe * See Transmigration and other Poems, p. 40, that appear in this month may be named the grasshopper (gryllus), the golden-geeen beetle (scarabæus auratus), various kinds of flies; the cuckoo-spit insect (cicada spumaria), and the stag-beetle (lucanus cervus). The several species of the gad-fly (astrus bovis-equi-and ovis), the ox, horse, and sheep gad-fly make their appearance in this month. When attacked by this insect, cattle endeavour to escape their tormentor, by taking refuge in the nearest pond; it being observed that the gad-fly rarely attacks them when standing in the water. About the beginning of this 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. The poppy (says Cowley) is scattered over the fields of corn, that all the needs of man may be easily satisfied, and that bread and sleep may be found toge ther. 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). The several kinds of corn come into ear and flower during this month, as well as most of the numerous species of grasses. Few common observers are at all aware that there are many distinct sorts of grasses; they see that there are daisies, butter-cups, clover, and several other flowering plants amongst the grass; but as for the grass itself, they consider it one uniform vegetable production, which, growing more or less luxuriantly in rich or in poor soils, is the source of all the differences between one pasture and another. The fact, however, is, that besides the leaves of the daisy, the butter-cup, and clover, with a variety of other plants usually found in all pasture land, there are above an hundred sorts of grass growing in different situations in this kingdom. Some of these are not proper food for any kind of cattle; some are even injurious, while others are eaten with avidity by some animals, and not touched by others. The sagacity of sheep in the choice of their food, both with respect to what is salutary, and even medicinal, is thus remarked by the poet : Driv'n oft from nature's path by artful man, Hard to determine. DYER. Most of the vegetables known under the common name of grass have three stamina and two pistilla, and are therefore in the class triandria, and order digynia. The anthers are seen shaking in the air, when the plants are in full flower; and as there are many flowers on the same stalk, forming a spike, or panicle, they afford many seeds. The seeds of the different species are now cultivated separately for sale by a few seedsmen, and their peculiar properties are beginning to be discovered. Much, however, yet remains to be done, and a fine field is here open to the intelligent experimental farmer. Some of the grasses are only to be cultivated by slips, or by dividing the roots. And all the grasses possess this invaluable property, given them with the wisest and kindest intentions, that the more their leaves which form the herbage are cropped, or eaten off, the more do the roots multiply and spread, until the surface of the ground is completely covered with a thick carpet of matted roots and their leaves. The wonderful diffusion of the grasses, and the care which Nature has shown in their preservation, call for our warmest gratitude to the Divine Bestower of all good. In almost every climate there is herbage of some kind; some of the grasses are found to grow even in the deserts of Africa; and others spring up, ripen, and shed their seeds, in the short summer of Lapland. The severest winters in this country do not kill these useful roots, nor do the cattle, that live upon their green leaves, ever eat the stalks which bear the flowers and the seeds. No set of plants are more useful in furnishing food, both fresh and dry, in summer and in winter, for innumerable animals and insects, than the order of the grasses; and none is more universally diffused over the whole face of the globe, or more carefully preserved by Nature, and their propagation insured'. Gooseberries, currants, and strawberries, now 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. No birds are heard after the end of June, except the stone curlew (charadrius ædicnemus) whistling late at night; the yellow hammer, goldfinch, and golden-crested wren, now and then chirping. The cuckoo's note also ceases. The rural employment of sheep-shearing com mences 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. The following plants are generally seen in flower about the end of June; goats-beard (tragopogon pratense, deadly nightshade (atropa belladonna), meadow-sweet (spiraa ulmaria), the day-lily (hemerocallis flava), the jasmine (jasminum officinale), and the holy-oak (alcea rosea). I See Skrimshire's Essays on Natural History, p. 168; and Curtis on Grasses, 8vo. The rose is one of the greatest ornaments of our garden in this month, yet like the rest of its sister tribe, and that beauty of which it is so often mentioned as an emblem, quickly hastens to decay. Like to the rose I count the virgin pure, That grow'th on native stem in garden faire, The morning dewe, the heate, the earthe, the aire: Both favor, grace, and beautie, all adieu! * ARIOSTO, BY HARRINGTON. Some persons are so fond of odoriferous plants and flowers, as to have them in their bedchamber. This, however, is a dangerous practice, many of them being so powerful as to overcome the senses entirely. Even plants that are not in flower, and have no smell, yet injure the air during the night, and in the absence of the sun, by impregnating it with nitrogen and carbonic acid gas; although in the daylight they rather improve the atmosphere, by yielding oxygen gas. Mackerel (scomber, scomber) are taken in great abundance in this month. Such is sometimes the profusion of this fish, that a single boat has been known to take 120,000. The price on the spot, to those who purchased them for sale, was half a guinea per thousand. The maritime plants which flower this month, are, the sea barley (hordeum maritimum), sulphur-wort (pucedanum officinale), and loose sedge (carex distans), in salt marshes; the sea-plantain (plantago maritima), among rocks on the sea-coast; the slenderleaved buffonia (buffonia tenuifolia), and the tassel |