DREDGING NOTES. 11 



work, becomes a most enthusiastic ally. In fact, 

 he soon ceases to occupy that position, and be- 

 comes commander of the expedition himself. So 

 very enthusiastic does he become at times, that 

 he splashes around in such a manner as to im- 

 press even the most stupid kinds of bugs with 

 the idea that danger is near, and consequently 

 they seek their hiding-places with such rapidity 

 that search after them sometimes is useless, in 

 spite of the small boy's well-meant zeal. This in- 

 dividual is useful, however, in reaching for spe- 

 cimens, which can be had only by standing in 

 muddy places, or on precipitous declivities where 

 a woman might find difficult footing. I owe at 

 least one good specimen of a water-inhabitant to 

 a small boy's zeal a fact that I have often 

 thought of with compunction, inasmuch as, just 

 before receiving the specimen, I had publicly 

 reviled this same small boy as being one who 

 intended to keep my dredger all day and allow 

 me no use of it whatever. But the three brown- 

 headed intruders who now plunge down the bank 

 have urgent business on hand. 



"What are you after?" I ask, by way of re- 

 turn catechism. 



" Red-legs," responds one freckled urchin, mak- 

 ing a dive into the brook, and on being questioned 

 further, it appears that this is the name of a spe- 

 cies of frog that the boys hope to sell for a fabu- 

 lous sum to a mysterious Frenchman. But no 



