EARLY AUGUST 



brilliant immigrant which is blossoming at present 



is the purple loosestrife. The botany extends its 



range from Nova Scotia to Delaware, but I find Immigrants 



its myriad deep-hued wands only on the swampy 



shores of the Hudson, and in the marshes which 



have for their background the level outline of 



the Shawangunk Mountains. 



Along shaded streams the jewel-weeds hang streams 

 their spurred, delicate pockets; these are some- ^rshes 

 times pale yellow, again deep orange, spotted 

 with reddish-brown. In certain swampy woods 

 and open marshes we discover the feathery pink- 

 purple spikes of the smaller fringed orchis. 



Summer seems well advanced when the curved 

 leafy stems of the Solomon's seal and twisted- 

 stalk are hung, the first with blackish, the second 

 with bright red berries. Except in the open Fruits 

 fields, fruits now are more conspicuous than 

 flowers. Of the latter, in the woods, we note 

 chiefly the pink blossoms strung upon the long 

 leafless stalks of the tick-trefoil, also a somewhat 

 similar-looking plant, the lop-seed, whose small Late 

 pink flowers are not pealike, however, and whose comers 

 leaves are not divided, as are those of the trefoils. 

 The inconspicuous, two-petalled blossoms and 

 thin opposite leaves of the uninteresting enchant- 

 er's nightshade are abundant everywhere. 



On the hill-side the velvety crimson plumes of 

 149 



