4 Hopkins's Pond. 



A large part of the pond was spread 

 with lilypads which shaded the reticulated 

 pickerel, and round about the margins 

 amphibious arrow-weeds lifted themselves 

 up high enough to whisper to the com- 

 panionable willows which leaned over the 

 water as far as they dared, and which 

 canopied the nest of the wood-thrush when 

 she pressed her warm spotted breast over 

 the satin-lined blue eggs that held hours 

 and hours of coming song. 



Twittering swallows slid in graceful 

 curves over the surface of the pond, 

 dipped their bills into the water as they 

 flew, circled out over the hayfield and 

 back to the pond again as lightly as mere 

 allusive emblems of flight. Gaudy oper- 

 cled sunfish built round nests in the yel- 

 low sand where the quawk waded with his 

 phosphorescent breast lantern at night, 

 and gauzy winged dragon-flies no heavier 

 than mid-day air balanced upon the tip- 

 piest tips of the sedges. Archippus and 

 argynnis butterflies drifted about over the 

 clustered asclepias on the bank and the 

 colias fleet luffed on the half-dried mud. 



