"" They had been possessed of the finer mysteries of the world of sap and leaves as of commonplace knowledge; had been able to read its hieroglyphs as ordinary writing; to them the sights and sounds of night, winter, wind, storm amidst those dense boughs were simple occurrences whose origin, continuance and laws they foreknew.
From the light lashing of twigs upon their faces when brushing through themin the dark either could pronounce upon the species of tree from which it stretched...frrom the quality of the wind's murmur through bough either could in like manner name its sort afar off.  They knew by a glance at a trunk if its heart were sound, or tainted with incipient decay.  the artifices of the seasons were seen by them from the conjuror's own point of view, not that of the spectator.''

from Thomas Hardy, 'The Woodlanders' (1887)