242 GREEN TRAILS AND UPLAND PASTURES 



smaller cousins, the little green herons, are common, 

 also, flying back and forth over the fishing grounds. 



A bird that is rare, however, is the wood duck. It is 

 rare in any region now, more's the pity. It is one of 

 the few ducks which nest in trees, preferring an old 

 hollow branch hanging over a stream. I have never 

 found such a nest myself, but once, on the golf links in 

 Stockbridge; a horribly hooked drive took me into a 

 piece of woods by the river bend, and under the over- 

 hanging trees on the opposite bank I saw a family of 

 wood duck swimming, four little ones in a row follow- 

 ing the mother about like some tiny flotilla in practice 

 evolutions. A misstep of mine on a dead limb sent 

 them all scurrying under the dark bank, and I saw them 

 no more, for the impatient foursome rudely : interrupted 

 my vigil. Nor have I ever [seen them at that spot again. 



Of the four-footed inhabitants of the land below the 

 river bank, the painted turtle is most common with 

 us. The turtles lead a lazy life, lying for the most part 

 on an old log in the sun, and it is difficult to see why 

 their dispositions are not more amiable. Perhaps, in- 

 deed, they are amiable among themselves, keeping their 

 ill temper for the human finger. Half a dozen of them 

 will often bask on a foot or two of snag above the water 

 without any sign of quarrel, dropping plop, plop, plop 

 into the stream as the boat draws near. Yet I seem to 

 remember disastrous domestic strife, when, as a boy, I 

 tried to keep several turtles in the same tub. Turtles 



