S^wamp of Oracles 175 



from under the leaves, and they ran like streaks of 

 lightning. The mother partridge came so near, un- 

 awares, that I saw the color of her eyes. Finally, dis- 

 covering me, she in terror signalled again, much as the 

 tame hen does in real or fancied danger. The little 

 grouse hid again, some of them putting their heads 

 under leaves, while the body was wholly exposed. 



On June 8th I visited Rattlesnake Swamp. Pink 

 Moccasin-Flowers and late blossoms of Painted Tril- 

 lium were abundant under the hemlocks along the 

 slopes of the Domelet. 



On June loth I heard of a colony of albinos or white 

 Cypripedium acaule reported on the Rabbit Plain north 

 of the Swamp of Oracles. In searching unsuccessfully 

 for it, I frightened up an old mother whippoorwill. 

 She feigned broken wings, attempting to distract my 

 attention from her two unprotected yellow eggs upon 

 the leaves at my feet. Both partridges and whippoor- 

 wills remain on their nests until almost stepped upon, 

 as a rule, believing that they are concealed because of 

 their dead-leaf ground-coloring. The old whippoor- 

 will perched on some distant pine logs, and moaned 

 piteously while I looked at her eggs. Her great round, 

 sad eyes distressed me, while she gave forth a sighing 

 sound. I broke down a small tree over the nest and 

 near the path as I left, hung my linen collar on a tree, 

 marking the line of entrance for another day. 



Four days later I returned, and found two little 

 round balls of yellow down, just out of their shells 

 which were lying near. Creeping up softly within 



