242 EARLY SPRING IN MASSACHUSETTS. 
nature, or one who looked carefully, would no¬ 
tice it. It is the most highly and richly col¬ 
ored yet, ten or a dozen little rays at the end 
of the buds, which are at the ends and along 
the sides of the bare stems. Some of the 
flowers are a light, some a dark, crimson. The 
high color of this minute, unobserved flower at 
this cold, leafless, and almost flowerless season! 
It is a beautiful greeting of the spring, when 
the catkins are scarcely relaxed and there are 
no signs of life in the bush. Moreover, they 
are so tender that I never get one home in good 
condition. They wilt and turn black. Tried 
to see the faint-croaking frogs at J. P. Brown’s 
pond in the woods. They are remarkably 
timid and shy; had their noses and eyes out, 
croaking, but all ceased, dived, and concealed 
themselves, before I got within a rod of the 
shore. Stood perfectly still amid the bushes on 
the shore before one showed himself ; finally 
five or six. All eyed me and gradually ap¬ 
proached me within three feet to reconnoitre. 
Though I waited about half an hour, they 
would not utter a sound nor take their eyes off 
me, plainly affected by curiosity. Dark brown, 
and some, perhaps, dark green, about two inches 
long. Had their noses and eyes out when they 
croaked. If described at all, they must be either 
young of Rana pipiens or Rana palustris. 
