SUMMER 



In the days that followed the Spring 

 chorus, the pools and eddies began to 

 team with all subaqueous life. Now 

 the " pollywogs " had grown from little 

 black specks to large gray minnow-like 

 creatures mostly head. The scooters 

 and shiny water bugs increased in mul- 

 titudinous numbers, and the larva of 

 the dragon fly covered the bottom of 

 the creek like little bits of decaying 

 wood. Basswoods and elms grew 

 plentifully in the flats, spreading 

 great roots into the stream, and occa- 

 sionally a black ash stood on guard 

 at some selected spot. An upturned 

 basswood lay full length upstream, the 

 current running by its side. It was 

 now the favourite resting place for 

 black-winged dragon flies, and here in 

 the sunshine they flattened themselves 

 on the bark to bask in the sunshine. 



Farther up stream an old elm, with 

 wind-wrecked top, stood in desolate 

 isolation on a little island in mid- 

 stream. Upon its hollowed stub the 

 flickers came to sound a deep bass 

 tattoo, which echoed through the woods, 

 and which they evidently enjoyed. Up 

 53 



