UNDER SHADOW OF WACHUSETT 83 



from a pine hill. This species as a breed- 

 ing bird is one of Worcester County's 

 eccentricities. That single song was the 

 spice of my entire ornithological trip. An 

 American bittern with slow and stealthy 

 stride was threading his way across a bit 

 of low meadow just over the wall along 

 the old Princeton-Gardner road. His 

 yellow legs were sharply defined against 

 the dark, dank grass. 



As the sun was setting and tingeing the 

 lily-paddedwaters 

 of the Meadow- 

 brook pond with 

 its blush, I wan- 

 dered down the 

 road and put out 

 upon its placid 

 waters in an old 

 flat boat. The 

 pond Is the most 

 southerly of the 

 chain of six, al- 

 most encircled by 

 a high fringe of 

 mixed growths ; 

 at one corner two wide fields stretch away 

 to the farm. As I drifted out from among 



