134 Bog-Trotting for OrcKids 



Equally sad is the birth and death of the flowers. The 

 sod steams with the warm southern sunhght pouring 

 upon it until, behold, a week later the green, luxuriant 

 foliage hides all the rocky paths in dense shades, and 

 sprinkles dainty stars and clinging vines over all the 

 ruins of the autumn's faded stalks and leaves. May 

 holds greater charm and more silent mysteries than 

 the overflowing joy of full-grown June. 



I wandered on through the winding paths, finding 

 them draped with mosses and Goldthread blossoms 

 and Painted Trillium. I continued daily to search the 

 woods through and through for the first sight of the 

 Pink Moccasin-Flower. I found three species of Cyp- 

 ripediwn on May 15th, and was a little curious to 

 obser\^e how the race would end in their unfolding. 

 There were the rare Ram's-Head, the Pink and the 

 Large Yellow Moccasin- Flowers in bud. The Pink 

 Cypripedium was the first to open, upon the 19th, 

 while on the same day also the Large Yellow Moccasin- 

 Flower burst into bloom, dropping its long, twisting 

 side petals gracefully beside the stump of a hemlock 

 tree fallen across Ball Brook. The Ram's-Head, which 

 is supposed to be the earliest Cypripedium to bloom, 

 was not so fortunate. Venturing where it stood among 

 the Amidon Pines one sunny morning, I found the bud 

 still sheathed in the tender green bract-like leaf, laid 

 low and withering upon the ground beside the ruined 

 stem. I picked it up and wondered what or who could 

 have brought about this tragedy. The bract, contain- 

 ing the bud, appeared cut from the stem as with a 



