Dr. Forster in his _Perennial Calendar_, observes, that the gentle
refreshing breezes by day, and the delicious calms by night, at this
time of year, draw a vast concourse of persons of leisure to the shores
of Great Britain and France in the months of August and September. There
is perhaps no period of the year when the seaside is more agreeable.
Bathing, sailing, and other marine recreations, are at no time better
suited to beguile the hours of the warm summer day than at present; and
the peculiar stillness of a seaside evening scene, by moonlight, is now
to be enjoyed in perfection, as Cynthia begins to ascend higher in her
car after the termination of the nightless summer solstice, and when the
unremitted heat of the dog-days at length gives place to the more
refreshing dews of a longer period of nocturnal coolness. The peculiar
beauties of a sea-scene by night are thus described by a cotemporary
poet:--
The sky was clear and the breeze was still,
The air was soft and the night was fine,
And all was hush save the tinkling rill,
While the moonbeams played on the sparkling brine;
Scylla had pulled off her glacous vest,
No longer responsive to whirlwinds’ roar,
But in white flowing silvery mantle drest,
With silken shoons danced along the shore.
But the imagery of a calm sea is more poetically described by Milton,
perhaps, than by any other author when he tells us:--
That not a blast was from his dungeon strayed,
The air was calm, and on the level brine
Sleek Panope with all her sisters played.
* * * * *
The swift, _hirundo apus_, is missed, says Dr. Forster, in its usual
haunts about this time. The great body of these birds migrate at once,
so that we are struck with their absence about the old steeples of
churches and other edifices which they usually inhabit, and from whence
they sally forth on rapid wings each morning and evening in search of
food, wheeling round and round, and uttering a very loud piercing and
peculiar cry, wherefore they are called squeakers. For the last month
past, these birds may have been seen flying in lofty gyrations in the
air, and seemingly exercising their wings and preparing for their aërial
voyage. It is not precisely ascertained to what countries they go when
they leave Europe.
* * * * *
Insects, says Dr. Forster, still continue to swarm and to sport in the
sun from flower to flower. It is very amusing to observe, in the bright
sun of an August morning, the animation and delight of some of the
lepidopterous insects. 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 phlœas_. Frequenting the same station, attached to
the same head of clover, or of harebell, 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. When the beautiful evening of this season arrives, we
again see the bat:--
The bat begins with giddy wing
His circuit round the shed and tree;
And clouds of dancing gnats to sing
A summer night’s serenity.
* * * * *