THE VESPER SONG OF THE WOODCOCK. 



EASTER Ipunday fell this year on March 29th, 

 and the joyous voices of white-robed choir boys 

 made for the cities almost as sweet and praisef ul 

 music as the children of the woods were making 

 in Nature's own sanctuaries. On the afternoon 

 of the day before Easter, I went to the ravine 

 between Arlington and Lexington where hepa- 

 tica grows. Walking from Arlington over the 

 ridges near One Pine Hill, I heard frogs for the 

 first time this year. Two kinds were singing, 

 the shrill-voiced piping hylas (hyla Piclcer- 

 ingii) and the wood frogs (rana sylvaticcf). 

 The latter at this season make a sound which 

 recalls the thrumming of loosely strung banjo 

 strings. The combined notes formed an effect- 

 ive background of sound to the rollicsome sing- 

 ing of song sparrows, tree sparrows, and red- 

 winged blackbirds, and the love-music of the 

 mated bluebirds. 



Wishing to capture a wood frog and make 

 sure of his identit} r , I remained for many min- 

 utes motionless on a stone in the middle of a 

 shallow pool in the swamp. On my approach 



