298 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. 



have lain for a longer or shorter period, exposed to the influ- 

 ence of the sun, at some convenient time fire is put among 

 them, which often consumes the principal part, and the rem- 

 nant is collected, and re-burned. Such a labyrinth of fallen 

 timber we had to penetrate, climbing over the trunks, and 

 scrambling through the dry branches of the prostrate trees, 

 often falling through ; and, to make the matter worse, these 

 were concealed by the tall Indian Wickup (EpiloUum Lati- 

 folium), with which the ground was absolutely covered ; 

 and as the long seed-pods were just bursting, our every move- 

 ment dispersed clouds of the light downy cotton, which, getting 

 into our mouths and nostrils, caused us considerable inconve- 

 nience. Presently we descended the steep bank, and walked, or 

 rather scrambled, up the rocky bed of the stream, by means 

 of the stones which were above water; though, as they 

 were wet and slimy, we occasionally wetted our feet. Thus 

 we went on, sometimes in the stream, sometimes among the 

 alders and underwood on the banks, for about a mile and a 

 half. We were much surprised in going up this brook, about 

 a mile up, at coming upon a ruined building, which had been 

 erected over the stream at a craggy fall, of which the timbers 

 had fallen down, and some of them had been carried a con- 

 siderable distance downwards by the freshets. I supposed it 

 must have been a mill, but wondered at its situation, so far 

 from any road. I have since been informed that it was a 

 saw-mill which had been built by Messrs. Spafford, and 

 that there was a good road to it, which went through 

 what is now P. Barker's south-west field ; but being now 

 overrun with bushes and young trees, this road had escaped 

 our notice. The mill has been disused nearly twenty years. 

 On the borders of the brook, I met with the seed- 

 vessels of the Touch-me-not (Impatiens noli-tangere), the 

 handsome subconic scarlet fruits of the White and the Red 

 Death {Trillium Pictum, and T. Fcetidum), the large um- 



