Brewster on the Prothonotary IFarhler. 161 



in many places flooded with water for a considerable distance back 

 into the woods, to where the land rose in broken ridges and the 

 cypresses gave way to a growth of oaks, black-walnuts, lindens, and 

 numerous other forest trees. The depth of the water, even in the 

 centre of the pond, did not exceed five feet, and over the greater 

 part of its extent rank grasses, yellow water-lilies, and other 

 aquatic plants reared their tall stalks or broad leaves in such pro- 

 fusion, that everywhere, except immediately around the canoe, the 

 eye rested upon what seemed a meadow of waving green. The few 

 acres of comparatively open water were sprinkled with water-lilies 

 {Nymphcea odorata) or thickly studded with the delicate, star- 

 shaped blossoms of the Cahomha caroUniana, the moss-like stems of 

 which extended in a perfect labyrinth beneath the surface. As we 

 pushed our way through the denser growths, the stems yielded 

 before the bow with a slight rustling soiind. Wood Ducks and 

 Hooded Mergansers rose on every side, while their broods of downy 

 ducklings scuttled off among the water-plants, sometimes huddling 

 close together, a dusky mass of bobbing little forms, at others, when 

 closely pressed, separating and diving like water-sprites. Overhead, 

 Buzzards wei'e wheeling in graceful, interminable circlings, while in 

 their nests upon the tops of some gigantic sycamores, a little back 

 from the shore, stood a number of Great Blue Herons, their tall 

 graceful forms boldly outlined against the sky. From the lower 

 depths of the forest came innumerable bird voices, — the slow, solemn 

 chant of the Wood Thrush, the clear, whistled challenge of the 

 Cardinal, the sweet wild notes of the Louisiana Water Thrush, the 

 measured pter-dle, ptei'-dle, 2^t€r-dle of the Kentucky Warbler, and 

 the emphatic song of the Hooded Flycatcher. Higher iip among 

 the'^trees Woodpeckers rattled upon dead limbs, a Tanager sang 

 at intervals, the Tufted Titmouse reiterated its monotonous ^e^o, 

 peto, and numerous Blue Warblers added their guttural little trills 

 to the general chorus. From all along the pond edges came the 

 Sandpipei'-like song of the Prothonotary Warblers. As we ad- 

 vanced, the button-bushes gave way to stretches of black willows, 

 which at the head of the pond formed the exclusive growth over 

 an area of perhaps six acres. This tract had at one time evidently 

 formed part of the pond, for as we pushed our canoe in among the 

 trees we found the water scarcely shallower than in the open 

 portions. 



Although the willows grew rather thinly, the spaces between the 



