A YEAR IN THE FIELDS 



miliar species of phyllopodous crustacean, 

 known as Eubranchipus vernalis. 



I remember that our guide in the Maine 

 woods, seeing I had names of my own for 

 some of the plants, would often ask me the 

 name of this and that flower for which he 

 had no word ; and that when I could recall 

 the full Latin term, it seemed overwhelm- 

 ingly convincing and satisfying to him. It 

 was evidently a relief to know that these 

 obscure plants of his native heath had been 

 found worthy of a learned name, and that 

 the Maine woods were not so uncivil and 

 outlandish as they might at first seem : it 

 was a comfort to him to know that he did 

 not live beyond the reach of botany. In 

 like manner I found satisfaction in knowing 

 that my novel fish had been recognized and 

 worthily named ; the title conferred a new 

 dignity at once ; but when the learned man 

 added that it was familiarly called the " fairy 

 shrimp," I felt a deeper pleasure. Fairy-like 

 it certainly was, in its aerial, unsubstantial 

 look, and in its delicate, down-like means of 

 locomotion ; but the large head, with its curi- 

 ous folds, and its eyes standing out in relief, 

 as if on the heads of two pins, were gnome- 

 like. Probably the fairy wore a mask, and 

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