354 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [13:8— Nov., 1917 



banks is dotted with yellow dandelions which shine like little suns 

 in the fresh green grass. 



The valley gets wider and wider, until it occupies nearly the 

 whole pasture. In the swamp here, are some cowslips, and near 

 the edge a group of Mayapples, their little umbrellas protecting the 

 buds, which are almost ready to open. 



Gradually the swamp grows narrower. The little stream is 

 meandering from one side to the other, so as to visit all the clumps 

 of swamp grass and skunk-cabbage and sweet-flag and bid them 

 "good luck." At the right two lovely willows are growing down 

 near the water's edge, and a little below at the left, some more 

 hawthorns all in blossom. The meadow on both sides is still 

 dotted with dandelions and the air is filled with bees and butter- 

 flies, and the fragrance of spring. 



Now the bank at the left has disappeared int6 a level meadow, 

 and there is a woody bank at the right, where another lone pine 

 stands out against the sky. Here the stream flows under a fence 

 and a stile, and all of a sudden disappears ignominously into a tile 

 drain. Above the stream is a perfectly dry grassy meadow for a 

 little way, and then from another tile opening a deep, clear brook 

 with a gravelly bottom springs into existence, not very much like 

 the little brook we've been studying. After a few minutes it again 

 disappears under the road and comes out thru a big tile on the 

 other side, a bigger brook than ever. There are steep banks on 

 either side. The left one was probably washed out during the 

 flood, because of the way the grass and stones look. The stream 

 is gentle now, and tinkles along as merrily as can be, but it is plainly 

 seen that the banks were flooded in the early spring. The bottom 

 is muddy now, for the stream is not swift enough to take the silt 

 with it, so it is dropped. 



There are long-legged striders floating about on the surface and 

 their feet cast snow shoe-shaped shadows on the brook bottom; 

 and there is a green leopard frog the first one we've seen. But 

 what is even more interesting are the little crayfishes crawling 

 around on the bottom. Aren't they funny looking things? You 

 wonder how they can keep all those legs and feelers and things 

 going, at the same time. 



There are black raspberries and also some wild grapes along the 

 banks now, and the bottom is more grassy. On one side is some 

 ribbon grass, and on the other a big sumach bush. Also there is 



