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 
