JUNE. 149 



commanding a good view both up and down the pond, 

 and there awaited developments ; nor had I long to wait. 

 The crows were soon upon the ground, and how I longed 

 for a field-glass ! They evidently were in search of food, 

 and doubtless attacked the little crayfish ; but the larger 

 ones appeared to give them trouble. At least, I can ima- 

 gine no other animal in the pools that would defy them. 

 Amid the most vociferous cawing they pranced about the 

 edges of the pools, and thrusting their heads into the 

 water they withdrew with a ludicrously quick jump that 

 appeared to excite or amuse the bystanders. It was a 

 curious sight but did not last. Either the crows were 

 quickly surfeited or discomfited, and left the spot in a 

 body. As soon as they rose into the air I went to the 

 spot, but failed to detect any diminution in the number 

 of crayfish. 



Wandering to where the pond was wider and deeper — 

 or had been, when there was a pond — I found the mud 

 in places covered with curious tracks, running in every 

 direction and ending apparently nowhere. These puz- 

 zled me at first, but when I recognized them as the foot- 

 prints of turtles, all seemed clear enough. The bewildered 

 creatures had evidently wandered in a very aimless way, 

 looking for the water that had left their haunts without 

 ■yarning. Where were the turtles now? To solve this 

 problem I assumed to be a very easy task, and walked with 

 confidence to various pools and probed the mud industri- 

 ously, but not a turtle was to be found. It seemed im- 

 probable that they should have been swept down the creek, 

 and yet they were not in the likely spots upon the mud- 

 fiat where they had so recently been crawling. On re-ex- 

 amination of the tracks, I found that some led toward the 

 shore, and following these, I was delighted to find one 

 little basin of a bubbling spring filled with quite young 

 snappers. There were seven; none more than three inches 



