Ill 



A May morning well advanced had seen me 

 since the breaking of a magnificent dawn making 

 my way here and there among the wider water- 

 ways of the marsh. I was exploring for the most 

 part in those channels, the graveled or mussel- 

 bedded bottoms of which were sufficiently firm 

 and sustaining to enable me to wade without sink- 

 ing over the top of my hip-boots. The weather 

 without was clear, cool, quiet; but, despite the 

 prevailing temperature, between the banks of the 

 breathless bayous, the sun beat down with a blis- 

 tering light. My progress was slow. So slow was it 

 that it seemed to excite the sinister curiosity of a 

 gull which appeared at repeated intervals and flew 

 around me in narrowing circles, meanwhile utter- 

 ing its peculiar squeaking cries. For many minutes 

 at a time, when coming upon some sight singular 

 to my eyes, such as the fearless familiarity 

 which the killifishes displayed toward my person, 

 or the opposed and belligerent behavior of the 

 sticklebacks toward other minnows which came too 

 close to their retreat, I would remain motionless, 

 not deigning to interrupt by so much as a move- 



[319] 



