AQUARELLES OF OUR COMMON WOODLANDS 
bending low to the water. A kingfisher 
sits above, and the water flows toward 
you over many a rocky riffle, streaming 
the long fronds of brookweed in the cur- 
rent; flowing, flowing endlessly — right 
into your lap seemingly, a wonderful 
example of arrested motion by the 
artistry of the Museum preparators who 
will have Nature 
presented to us 
just as she appears 
in reality. Even 
the very stones of 
the brook bottom 
have that brown, 
velvety look that 
settled 
sediment, and that 
comes of 
peculiar — slippery 
covering that 
brings many a 
trout fisherman to 
grief! Herein are 
depicted the life 
history and habits 
of the giant sala- 
mander, familiar to 
those who wade the 
mountain streams. 
A greedy voracious 
beast and a canni- 
bal, with clumsy 
ways. Here is one 
that has seized a 
fish of the school 
which is swimming 
upstream, for in 
spite of his clumsy 
the 
mander’s 
body, sala- 
protec- 
tive coloration, 
blending — exactly 
with the rocks of 
the brook bed, en- 
him — when he is quick to strike, and 
his mouth opens the full extent of the 
width of his head. Here are two big 
fellows fighting over a string of eggs. 
The one on guard over the eggs was 
lying among them under the rock watch- 
ing, when along came a second salaman- 
der and started to bolt the eggs, whereat 
ables him to le in 
wait until a brook 
fish hovers over 
About a moss and violet covered root in the water (from the toad 
group). The common ‘‘tree toad’’ or so-called ‘‘weather prophet” (Hyla 
versicolor) is in the pond but a short time and then resorts to the orchard, 
the garden or edge of the woods. Notice the small clusters of this hyla’s 
pearl-like eggs on the water plants 
