s a fine, sleek yellow
muscular fellow and was springing over the tall grass in wide-arching
jumps. The green-striped snake, gliding swiftly and steadily, was
keeping the frog in sight and, had I not interfered, would probably
have tired out the poor jumper. Then, perhaps, while digesting and
enjoying his meal, the happy snake would himself be swallowed frog and
all by a hawk. Again, to our astonishment, the small specimens were
attacked by our hens. They pursued and pecked away at them until they
killed and devoured them, oftentimes quarreling over the division of
the spoil, though it was not easily divided.

We watched the habits of the swift-darting dragonflies, wild bees,
butterflies, wasps, beetles, etc., and soon learned to discriminate
between those that might be safely handled and the pinching or
stinging species. But of all our wild neighbors the mosquitoes were
the first with which we became very intimately acquainted.

The beautiful meadow lying warm in the spring sunshine, outspread
between our lily-rimmed lake and the hill-slope that our shanty stood
on, sent forth thirsty swarms of the little gray, speckledy, singing,
stinging pests; and how tellingly they introduced themselves! Of
little avail were the smudges that we made on muggy evenings to drive
them away; and amid the many lessons which they insisted upon teaching
us we wondered more and more at the extent of their knowledge,
especially that in their tiny, flimsy bodies room could be found for
such cunning palates. They would drink their fill from brown, smoky
Indians, or from old white folk flavored with tobacco and whiskey,
when no better could be had. But the surpassing fineness of their
taste was best manifested by their enthusiastic appreciation of boys
full of lively red blood, and of girls in full bloom fresh from cool
Scotland or England. On these it was pleasant to witness their
enjoyment as they feasted. Indians, we were told, believed that if
they were brave fighters they would go after death to a happy country
abounding in game, where there were no mosquitoes and no cowards. For
cowards were driven away by themselves to a miserable country where
there was no game fit to eat, and where the sky was always dark with
huge gnats and mosquitoes as big as pigeons.

We were great admirers of the little black water-bugs. Their whole
lives seemed to be play, skimming, swimming, swirling, and waltzing
together in little groups on the edge of the