300 NATURE SKETCHES IX TEMPERATE AMERICA 



star, which, coupled with its sweet fragrance and square stem, 

 gives this member of the gentian family a distinctive character. 



As a parting word with reference to the plants, perhaps I 

 have overlooked in the foregoing remarks an important member 

 of the pea family. It is Cassia chamaecrista, abundant on the 

 sand among the open groves of oak. Then, too, this is the 

 country of tiie prickly pear cactus, Opunta humifusa, though 

 it is not quite so abundant here as at Dune Park, five miles 

 east of Miller. To the entomologist this region is a paradise, 

 there being hosts of dragon-flies and other insects about the 

 ponds and along the river. At one jjlace in the woods I saw 

 some large neuropteroid insects on the trunks of the oak trees. 



A week later, after spending a rainy day here, I took a winding 

 road beside a pond. I suddenly came uj>on a large bullfrog, 

 Rana catishiana. It was seated scpiarely in the middle of the 

 road, and stared intently at me. The size of this frog, which 

 outmeasured any I had ever seen, would indicate that it had 

 doubtless led a life of many years among the seclusion of the 

 dunes. It submitted without much resistance to capture, 

 and became yery tame in capti\ity. After a time it would 

 lower its head at my approach to have its head caressed. But 

 as it failed to take the refpiired amount of food I finally restored 

 it to liberty. Once more its low bellowing notes sounded over 

 the spring pond, while I still retain its photograph, which is 

 presented here in its natural colors for the pleasure of the 

 reader. 



The Blow Snake in a sleeping attitude. When 



threatened it often flattens its body 



against the ground. 



