240 UPLAND AND MEADOW. 



musician is silent. My practical grandfather nsed, in 

 this way, to quiet all that were near the house, before re- 

 tiring. He did cause some to quit their racket, as I 

 remember the matter; but long before the old gentle- 

 man was asleep they were singing again. He thought 

 not, but was it not because the sound was less distinct 

 in-doors, and hearing less acute, as sleepiness came on ? 

 With him, imagination met the requirements of the 

 case, and confirmed him as to the efficacy of the remedy. 

 Scores of experiments, of late, do not tend to confirm 

 one's faith in the matter. If the trees are very large, 

 the mere" fact of touching them is insufficient, and a 

 hearty kick will often do nothing towards stopping the 

 noise. A decided thrill must be sent through the tree, 

 which, being felt by tlie insect, quiets it for a time. 

 The old notion of an electrical influence being exerted 

 cannot be verified. Judging from my labors of last 

 summer, nothing short of blows from a sledge-hammer, 

 frequently repeated, will keep the creatures still ; but 

 then, how long would a tree stand such hammer- 

 ing? 



August 17. — At sunrise, and for two hours after, 

 there was a dense fog covering all the meadows, and 

 a pale, creamy fog half veiled the uplands. Nature 

 was quiet. 



Without waiting for the air to clear, I walked to the 

 elms that overhang Poaetquissings, at the great bend, 

 and there hunted for shells until my back ached. Did 

 I find any? Shall I say hundreds or thousands? If it 

 did not take too much of a day, I could gather a million. 



