
          667

abundant and seemed to vie with Hepatica to share the honor of
the day.  In one warm nook a precocious Leatherwood - 
Dirca palustris was found with several blossoms.  This is the
earliest that I have yet seen this pretty shrub in bloom.
On the hillside close to Owl Spring.  I marked several fine
specimens of Tipularia.  A patch of two near a quadruple
oak and an immensely large specimen but a short distance
away.  When I crossed the brook to go to the spring,  I thought
the dogs would surely return as the stream here was so wide
but they were not kept back.  While I ate my dinner, they
found resting places close at hand.  I would have liked to
give them part, but thought it might only be the means to
cause them to follow me yet closer.   I had finished my 
lunch and was looking towards the brook, when I saw some thing
yellow which looked very much like a flower.  I at 
once thought what can it be and went to it.  What was my
surprise to find Erythronium in full bloom,  11 beautiful
specimens; never before have I found this plant so early in
flower.   <s>I now</s> In the nearby ground I found Viola and Cardamine
in bud and Symplocarpus in bloom.  I now recrossed
        