102 IN A SULTRY SWAMP 



Cedars spread their closely layered branches down to 

 the surface of the Moss, and the Spruces crowd so 

 close that their lower branches shrivel to brittle, 

 noisy obstructions. Poplars still struggle against the 

 slower and more persistent aggression of the Ever- 

 greens, and sometimes a Silver Birch can find a 

 breathing space. The feathered Hemlock, with large 

 trunk and sturdy roots, rises above the jostling crowd 

 toward the needed sunlight, its green sprays decorated 

 with the small, brown cones of the past year. Near 

 the borders the Alders and Witch-hazels quietly seek 

 admission. The moss that encroached upon the 

 ancient pond and gave the trees a foothold is still 

 youthfully ready to receive them when they have 

 lived their allotted time. It climbs over the dead 

 and decaying trunks as it covers and nourishes the 

 living roots, and some trees that once reached up 

 successfully above their fellows toward the coveted 

 sunlight are now merely long, irregular mounds of 

 Sphagnum. 



Birds selfishly enjoy the seclusion provided by 

 the almost impenetrable shrubbery. The Maryland 

 Yellow-throat sings from a close but invisible perch 

 until his audacious curiosity can no longer be denied. 

 The Black and White Warbler, always on the move, 

 is indifferent toward an invader, and scarcely halts 

 long enough to sound his linked repeated notes. The 

 noisy Crows scold uneasily, but are unwilling to 



