some of our lepidopterous tribes. That beautiful little blue butterfly (papilio argus) is then all life and activity, flitting from flower to flower in the grass with remarkable vivacity: there seems to be a constant rivalship and contention between this beauty, and the not less elegant little beau papilio phlæas. Frequenting the same station, attached to the same head of clover, or hare-bell, whenever they approach, mutual animosity seems to possess them; and, darting on each other with courageous rapidity, they buffet and contend until one is driven from the field, or to a considerable distance from his station, perhaps many hundred yards, when the victor returns to his post in triumph; and this contention is renewed, as long as the brilliancy of the sun animates their courage.-Particulars of other butterflies, appearing at this season, are given in our last volume, pp. 205, 206.

The caterpillar of the death's-head, bee-tiger, jessamine-hawk, or potatoe-moth (sphinx atropos), is found about this time upon potatoes, artfully concealing itself in the day-time on those parts of the stems of the plants which are best covered with overshadowing leaves: they are sometimes found also upon green elder and jessamine.

The harvest-bug (acarus ricinus), in this and the following month, proves a very troublesome and disagreeable insect, particularly in some of the southern counties of England. The best cure for the bite is hartshorn. Flies now abound, and torment both men and animals with their perpetual buzzing. Wasps and hornets become, in this and the succeeding month, very annoying to us in our rural walks. Another troublesome insect which abounds in August, is the tabanus pluvialis, sticking on the hands and legs, and, by piercing the skin with its proboscis, causing a painful inflammation. Cattle are severely exposed to its attacks, though the dragon fly (libellula), the beautiful insect that frequents the shaded ponds,

bears the blame of the other's mischief, under the name of horse-stinger, but is perfectly harmless.

The bat begins with giddy wing

His circuit round the shed, the tree;
And clouds of dancing gnats to sing
A summer-night's serenity.

The 'silent eve' at this season, as its beauties may now be enjoyed without the fear of damps or fogs, has peculiar charms for the contemplative mind. The delightful feelings produced by a summer eve' are thus admirably expressed by MR. PAulsen, an American poet, in the Backwoodsman,' which, we hope, ere long, will be introduced to the notice of Englishmen, with (as it deserves) all the recommendatory attractions of the LONDON PRESS.

All, all was still,—

As if the earth now slept to wake no more:
In such a scene the soul oft walks abroad,

For SILENCE is the energy of GOD!

Not in the blackest tempest's midnight scowl,

The earthquake's rocking, or the whirlwind's howl,
Not from the crashing, thunder-rifted cloud,
Does His immortal mandate speak so loud,
As when the silent night around her throws
Her star-bespangled mantle of repose;
And as all nature sleeps in tranquil smiles,
What sweet yet lofty thought the soul beguiles!

There's not an object 'neath the moon's bright beam,
There's not a shadow dark'ning on the stream,

There's not a star that jewels yonder skies,
Whose bright reflection on the water lies,
That does not in the lifted mind awake
Thoughts that of love and heav'n alike partake.

Backwoodsman.

The solitary bee (apis manicata), and the white moth (phalena pacta), are observed in this month; the ptinus pectinicornis also makes its appearance, the larva of which are very destructive to wooden furniture, boring holes in tables, chairs, bed-posts, &c.

The southern counties of England, particularly Surrey and Kent, now yield their valuable produce

of hops in this month. The common hop (humulus lupulus) is propagated either by nursery plants, or by cuttings. Pilchards are taken in great abundance in August.

The common glow-worm, the little planet of the rural scene,' may be observed in abundance in the month of August, when the earth is almost as thickly spangled with them as the cope of heaven is with stars. It is not only the glow-worm that will not bear inspection when its lustre is lost by the light of day; but all those luminous insects that bear the same phosphoric fire about them; such as the lanthorn fly of the West-Indies, and of China, of which there are several sorts; some of which carry their light in a sort of snout, so that when they are seen in a collection they are remarkably ugly. There is also an insect of this luminous sort common in Italy, called the lucciola. An intelligent traveller relates, that some Moorish ladies having been made prisoners by the Genoese, lived in a house near Genoa till they could be exchanged; and on seeing some of the lucciole, or flying glow-worms, darting about in the evening in the garden near them, they caused the windows to be shut in a great alarm, from a strange idea which seized them, that these shining flies were the souls of their deceased relations '.

In this and the succeeding month, much knowledge may be gained of marine plants, shells, &c. by those who visit the sea-coast".

Having now completed our account of the several rural appearances in this month, and given a picture of AUGUST in the Country,' our provincial readers

1 See a very pleasing little poem addressed To the Fire-fly of Jamaica, seen in a Collection,' in Mrs. Charlotte Smith's excellent Con ́versations on Natural History, vol. ii, p. 93.

2 T. T. for 1817, p. 250; for 1819, p. 213; and our last volume, pp. 210-212.

U

will not be displeased to see the following poetical description of

AUGUST in LONDON.

'Tis August. Rays of fiercer heat
Full on the scorching pavement beat,
As o'er it the faint breeze, by fits
Alternate, blows and intermits.
For short-lived green, a russet brown
Stains every withering shrub in town.
Darkening the air, in clouds arise
Th' Egyptian plagues of dust and flies;
And wasps, those foragers voracious,
Buzz thro' the shops, in swarms audacious.
At rest, in motion-forced to roam
Abroad, or to remain at home,
Nature proclaims one common lot
For all conditions-'Be ye hot!"
Day is intolerable-Night
As close and suffocating quite;
And still the Mercury mounts higher,
Till London seems again on fire.

Advice to Julia.

In this and the following month, London pours out its thousand tourists, who, tired of the imprisonment of walls and roofs and the oppression of confining streets, scatter themselves over the fertile and picturesque country of the United Kingdom;-others less ambitious, and more economical, when all London goes out of town,' remove from this modern Babylon per 'STEAM-BOAT'.'

2

Now many a city-wife and daughter

Feels that the dipping rage has caught her.
Scarce can they rest upon their pillows,
For musing on machines and billows;
Or, should they slumber, 'tis to dream
All night of MARGATE and of steam;
Of Steam, which, stronger than a giant,
Duly invoked, is more compliant.
At half past eight, propitious hour,
He's at their service, at the Tower.
Embarked, they catch the sound, and feel
The thumping motion of his wheel.

See an account of Steam-Navigation in pp. 218-219.

Lashed into foam by ceaseless strokes,
The river roars, the funnel smokes,
As onward, like an arrow, shoots
The Giant, with his seven-league boots;
Spite of their crowded sails, outstripping
With ease the speed of all the shipping
Through every reach-mast following mast
Descried, approached, o'ertaken, passed.
Look where you will, you find no traces
Of qualm-anticipating faces

From shifting helm or taught lee-braces,
Ills with which fate the bliss alloys,
Else perfect, of the Margate-hoys.
No calm, so dead that nothing stirs,
Baffles the sea-sick passengers.
With ecstasy no tongue can utter,
They take to tea and bread and butter.

On the smooth deck some stretch their legs,
Some feast below on toast and eggs,

As, cheered by clarinet and song,
Ten knots an hour they run along,
(Sure at their destined post to sup,
Unless, perchance, they're all blown up)
By Graves-end, South-end, thro' the Nore,
Till the boat lands them all at four,
Exulting, on the Margate shore!

Advice to Julia.

SEPTEMBER.

SEPTEMBER is composed of septem, seven, and the termination ber, like lis in Aprilis, Quintilis, Sextilis. This rule will also apply to the three following months, Octo-ber, Nov-ember, Decem-ber.

Remarkable Days

In SEPTEMBER 1821.
1.-SAINT GILES.

GILES, or Ægidius, was born at Athens, but, after he had disposed of his patrimony in charitable uses, came to France in the year 715. He lived two years