GENERAL OBSERVATIONS AND SKETCHES AFIELD 297 



also appeared in abundance. Though late for this species, 

 many blossoms of the meadowsweet were in evidence, but 

 most of them were in a state of senescence. 



In the open sandy areas is the mint, Monarda punctata. It 

 is extensively distributed here and is an appropriate plant 

 for the roadsides, appearing at first glance as if the whole plant 

 were covered with dust, but in reality it is only a light down. 

 The sage-like odor of this plant is peculiar and leaves a lasting 

 impression on one's mind. The flowers are sprinkled with 

 magenta on the pale ground color, the upper and lower lobes 

 gape widely and present a slight resemblance to a tiger's mouth. 

 This flower is perfectly adapted for bees, which I saw visiting 

 them. 



At frequent intervals, both Fowler's and the common toad 

 crossed my path, almost underfoot. While the toads kept 

 to the drier portions of the trail, at the edge of the swale 

 among the cat-tails, blue flag, and reeds I found a short-winged 

 green locust ' frequenting the leaves and lower herbage, espe- 

 cially the marsh grasses. I have given a separate account of 

 this species further on. In a drier situation, among some dead 

 branches on the ground, fallen from the blackjack oak, I found 

 a number of the sprinkled locusts, Ckoealtis conspersa. The 

 larger, leather-colored locusts were in many instances seen 

 shedding their last skins before reaching maturity. These 

 insects, in this stage, could be distinguished after recent moult- 

 ing by their pale color and the perfectly soft condition of the 

 integument. A detailed account of this and the preceding 

 locust will be found further on in this work. 



Among the cat-tails, I occasionally saw the bright female 

 of the common yellow and black harvest spider, Argiope, which 

 fared sumptuously on locusts of the genus Melanoplus. The 

 web of one of these spiders was built in the marsh near the 

 shore; her web contained two locusts. The spider was hanging 

 head downward in her usual position. She held one of her 

 captives across her mandibles, intent upon sucking its blood. 

 In the woods I came across a number of sassafras trees with 

 the small green drupes showing among the leaf clusters at the 

 end of the branches. These round drupes containing the seeds 

 ' Dichromorpha viridis. 



