88 FAMILIAR FEATURES OF THE ROADSIDE. 



in the orchard, and even on the border of the wood. 

 In the northern parts of Vermont and New Hamp- 

 shire I have rarely heard Hyla versicolor ; but in the 

 Highlands of the Hudson, on Long Island, and in 

 various localities of New Jersey his voice is a very- 

 familiar one to me. The tone is not prolonged be- 

 yond two seconds (rarely a triiie over this), and it is 

 characterized by a well-marked crepitation. The 

 drowsy, droning voice of the common toad as he 

 sings in the marshes in early summer is dual-toned 

 and far more musical ; indeed, it has all the mysteri- 

 ous charm of a soothing lullabj', and in my own 

 mind it is intimately associated with the romantic, 

 slow, introductory movement of Beethoven's so- 

 called Moonlight Sonata, a fitting musical interpre- 

 tation of the peace and quiet of summer life in the 

 country, just as the last, impetuous, hurried move- 

 ment is interpretative of the restless, wearing life of 

 the city. 



Among the singers of the meadow not one is 

 quite as attractive in appearance as the beautiful, 

 pale, ivory-colored tree cricket {(Ecaidhus niveus). 

 He is sometimes called the " snowy tree cricket," as 

 his ethereal body and glassy wings suggest a color 

 which is the very antithesis of black. The song of 

 this little creature does not issue from the grass, but 

 from some tall weed stem or tree trunk. The tone 



