64 UP AND DOWN THE BROOKS. 



but more brilliant blossoms of the California 

 poppies. By the way there is a slight difference 

 between the California Colias butterfly, as I have 

 examined it, and the Eastern variety C. Philo- 

 dice, as described by Harris, a difference that is 

 interesting to those only who are concerned with 

 the minutiae of insect life. The difference is to 

 be found on the under side of the hind wings, 

 where the small secondary spot on each wing is 

 not white, as in the Eastern variety, but rust- 

 colored. Moreover this little spot is outside of 

 the rust-colored ring that surrounds the larger 

 white spot, instead of both spots being joined to- 

 gether and both surrounded by the rust-colored 

 ring. Other mid- April visitors to the brook are 

 little Agrion dragon-flies, and one may perhaps 

 see the first of the large blue-and-black dragon- 

 flies at the same time. 



One year, when spring arrived, I was seized 

 with a great desire to achieve that which I had 

 not before, and carry some of the Water-tigers 

 through their successive stages and observe their 

 transformation into beetles. Accordingly I pro- 

 cured a collection of these Iarva3 from the brook. 

 One of these larvae was Oliver. He was so 

 named because, like Twist of trite fame, he con- 

 tinually sighed for more polliwogs. The num- 

 ber of these interesting creatures that Oliver and 

 his brethren devoured passes belief. My life was 

 made a burden to me, owing to the necessity 



