Evening star., 1897-05-01


much as we may admire his glossy and
prismatic armor. his easy and graceful
poises and dartings, and his daintiness of
form. yet we do not take him to our hearts
as friend, but allow admiration to supply
the place of affection. There is not the same
feeling of warm welcome for him when,
early IN May, we suddenly discover him
probing the honey compartments of our
garden flowers. OF course, his arrival is an
event-every additional sign of the season
has an attractiveness for the watcher for
slgns-but 1t is not a personal event as
when the indigo birds simple little lay falls
Upon The ear for the first time in the year.
The Partridge.
The humming bird is no singer; his pres
ence is manifest only to the eye. The par
tridga or Bob White, on the contrary, is
| usually but voice. The few notes that
constitute his song, however, are so whole
some in tone, full of sturdy vigor and
courage, that We could far better spare the
glittering splendor OF the humming bird.
Who that has heard his Bob White!'
Bob. Bob White!'' has not been moved by
a feeling of friendlineSS for the doughty
spirit that IS manifest in this brief and
simple utterance? 1t is in the latter part of
May that his song first rolls across the
meadow with its message of good cheer,
and, like all other May sounds, 1t gains ad
ditional attractiveness by it's association
with the charms of the month. Everything
that is referabls to May has full floral
setting.
Early May Blossoms.
The month Is ushered in with wealth
Of apple blossoms and the resplendent
beauty OF Towering dogwood in it's snowy
dress. while the scarcely less noticeable
white robes of the black haw are abundant
ly mingled with the different shades of
green with which other forest trees and
shrubs are clad. On wooded hil1sides the
wild lupine with its purplish-blue racemes
lends dense masses of color to the scene,
and the meadows are soon fringed with
snowbanks of blackberry.
These are large splashes of color-if we
may include white under that head without
violating technical rules. But If our taste
inclines rather to individuals than to mass
es. dots CT color here and there promise
good return from closer examination. Lit
tie spots Of bright blue in the grass of the
meadows, If Investigated, will prove to be
the fiat. star-shaped blossoms Of the blue
eyed grass lifted up on their grass-like
stems. In damp fields we shall find the
primrose-leaved vioIets with their brown
stems and white flowers, smaller than those
OF their purple cousins, holding up their
pretty faces to the sunshine Along the
rocky banks Of streams the nodding red and
yellow clusters of cornucopias of the wild
oolumbine hang from their perehes in the
ciefts of the rocks. They are so graceful
ard airy contrasted with the solid back
ground from which they spring that it Is
matter OF regret that they are not more
often encountered by the May rambler.
Much more abundant is the wild serani,,m.
which may be found throughout the month
IN woody places, and whose large bright
blossoms tha, nn OF pink-purple are SO attractive
that one never tires Of seeing them The
woods Of May are also the home of the
| aZalea or wild honeysuckle, with it's varied
snaoes or pink and purple. The blossoms
feet above the ground and CLEAN brightly
anld the young green leaves of trees and
SHRUBS They were not made for bouquets.
thougn the tendency to pluck every flower
that pieaSes does not spare them. They are
100 large and unwieldy to combine comfort
aoiy with other flowers But in the Ca
paeity for which they were designed,
Frightening the green about them and ne,
ing reciprocally frightened by it, they ara
great source of enjoyment.
Orchids.
In the woods, in spots made sacred to
the botanist by their presence, there ara
occasional floral treasures to be found.
Several OF the native orchids expand their
always interesting and sometimes yery
beautiful corollas during May, The
snowy orcnids, which has a number Of pink
purple and white blossoms on one stalk;
the tway blade or Hlyleaved lIparis, with
Its six or eight small translucent flowers
OF purp1sh brown. very singular in ap-
pearance compared with the gay colors
which most flowers present but with a
o
membership in this most interesting fam
lily; the pink lady's slipper or moccasin
nc wer, its single bloom, in appearance like
large pink pounch with dropping greenish
streamers, standing like a soldier on guard
aDcve the brown carpet Of pine needles
ut Is always found in pine woods); these
three may be met with In May. two Of
the m early in the month and the other.
the tway blade, toward it's close. A guide
to their identity is the pair of large wide
root leaves, their only foliage, fianking
the upright flower stalk on both sides.
The early part of the month also witnesses
the blooming of the yellow lady's slipper
whose leaves grow from the stem, which
poises at its summit the yellow pouch
with its brown streamers. If found at
all this snowy bloom will be found in rich
moist woods. But it is very rare, and
may be regarded as a botanical prize. To-
ward the end Of the month the aplectrum,
known to our rustic colored brethren. who
are often excellent natural botanists, as
Adam and Eve. from the two bulbs one
large and one small. which compose the
rect. opens Its rather inconspicuous bios
SONS. The whorled snake-mouth. or
pogonia. also blooms during the latter
half of the month. 1t may be recognized,
II found. which is very doubtful, by its
single dingy purple flower. surmoUnting a
springs a cIrclet of long leaves. Lastly
the beautiful rose-purple blossom of the
arethusa may be sought In May. But
should you find 1t you should regard 1t as
| In the vicinity of Washington for many
years, and it Is suspected of having en-
tirely withdrawn its presence from US.
Others Less Rnrc.
Were our ficra to consist only Of orchids.
I the woods and fields would be bare indeed
But we have many equally beautiful flowers
which are fortunately not so exclusive in
habit. There is a species OF iris which
blooms In May and may be met with not
infreqrentiy in marshy places. with the Star
of Bethlehem. perhaps for near neigh
bor. The spderwort. whose snowy blue
flower is seen in many a garden. Is indi-
genous to our ne:ghborhood, and Is not
uncommon. And the handsome dark blue
of the skullcap awaits the rambler in shady
covers such as the wood thrush chooses for
his home.
Throughout May the floral season makes
steady progress. and with each week many
additional bits Of colcr are added TO the
wrcata with which nature Is bedeeked, un-
til as we approach tho confines Of tho
, month there il a bewiIdering profusion OF
bloom. The fragrance OF locust and honey.
suckie and the Wild grape Derneates the
| air: daisies and buttercupa ard Clover
claim the meadows; brilliant clusters of
trumpet honeysuck,e oeoop from tres ana
fencs: thA wilder streams are banked by
great pink and wattc masxss Of laurs! ana
l the beautiful brler rcae. mote charming n
l Ii