22 FAMILIAR FEATURES OF THE ROADSIDE. 



as it was years ago when Irving drew its picture with 

 his inimitable pen, and described it as " a little valley 

 or rather lap of land among high hills, which is one 

 of the quietest places in the whole world. A small 

 brook glides through it with just murmur enough to 

 lull one to repose ; and the occasional whistle of a 

 quail or tapping of a woodpecker is almost the only 

 sound that ever breaks in upon the uniform tran- 

 quillity." 



Later in the spring or in early summer we will 

 also .hear the crepitating in plain English, rat- 

 tling or creaking notes of the 

 little frog called Chorophilus trise 

 / ^^jplg^v-^a riatus ; this little fellow never 

 leaves the swamp for the trees, 



ChorovJiilus triseriatus. , . . 



and he continues his song 



throughout the summer. We can not fail to recog- 

 nize it if by any good chance we can gain the edge of 

 the marsh where we may hear one singer's voice well 

 separated from the general chorus. It has a rising 

 inflection, a 

 moderate cres- QJ-6, minor 

 cendo, and a 

 limited range, 

 thus : 



The quality of the tones can not be conveyed by 

 note ; I might compare it to the scraping of the teeth 



