JULY 



17 



There are many interesting objects of study, as 

 you walk up and down a clear river like this in 

 the water, where you can see every inequality in 

 the bottom, and every object on it. The breams' 

 nests are interesting and even handsome, and the 

 shallow water in them over the sand is so warm 

 to my hand that I think their ova will soon be 

 hatched ; also, the numerous heaps of stones, made 

 I know not certainly by what fish, many of them 

 rising above the surface. . . . The bottom is also 

 scored with furrows made by the clams moving 

 about, sometimes a rod long, and always the clam 

 lies at one end. 



THOREAU: Summer. 



18 



GILBERT WHITE, 1720. 



About ten o'clock, when man is asleep, and 

 day fairly forgotten, the beauty of moonlight is 

 seen over lonely pastures where cattle are silently 

 feeding. On all sides novelties present themselves. 

 Instead of the sun there are the moon and stars, 

 instead of the wood thrush there is the whip-poor- 

 will, instead of butterflies in the meadows, fire- 

 flies, winged sparks of fire I who would have be- 

 lieved it? ... Instead of singing birds the half 

 throttled note of a cuckoo flying over, the croak- 

 ing of frogs, and the intenser dream of crickets. 

 THOREAU: Night and Moonlight. 



