42 BOULDER REVERIES. 



The pollen of the ragweed, golden yellow and 

 redolent with its characteristic bitter odor, has 

 colored my clothing as I trudged slowly to this, 

 my haven of rest. From the border of the 

 beaten pathway I plucked a wayside weed. It 

 belongs to the Mallow family and is known as 

 the prickly sida. 9 The pale lemon-yellow flow- 

 ers always attract me. It is a plant of waste 

 places, such as roadsides, barnyards and the 

 dusty cow-paths of this old woodland pasture. 

 Often trampled upon by man and beast, it yet 

 survives and perpetuates its kind. Scrawny and 

 rough in form, it exemplifies a life of bitter 

 struggle. Bravely it fights its way, raising its 

 head with new vigor after being pressed closely 

 to earth by many a passerby. A poor, down- 

 trodden, homely weed, it possesses certain points 

 of attractiveness which appeal to the botanist's 

 eye. 



A syrphus fly alights upon the top of my 

 fountain pen as I write. These are halcyon 

 days for the many species of its kind. They are 

 flower-flies, and feed upon honey and pollen. 



9 From its scientific name, Sida spinosa L. 



