enaweekoldasthedayitwasdipped,andhadnotasteofthepump.Whoevercampsforaweekinsummerbytheshoreofapond,needsonlyburyapailofwaterafewfeetdeepintheshadeofhiscamptobeindependentoftheluxuryofice.
TherehavebeencaughtinWaldenpickerel,oneweighingsevenpounds,tosaynothingofanotherwhichcarriedoffareelwithgreatvelocity,whichthefishermansafelysetdownateightpoundsbecausehedidnotseehim,perchandpouts,someofeachweighingovertwopounds,shiners,chivinsorroach(Leuciscuspulchellus),averyfewbreams,andacoupleofeels,oneweighingfourpounds,—Iamthusparticularbecausetheweightofafishiscommonlyitsonlytitletofame,andthesearetheonlyeelsIhaveheardofhere—also,Ihaveafaintrecollectionofalittlefishsomefiveincheslong,withsilverysidesandagreenishback,somewhatdace-likeinitscharacter,whichImentionherechieflytolinkmyfactstofable.Nevertheless,thispondisnotveryfertileinfish.Itspickerel,thoughnotabundant,areitschiefboast.Ihaveseenatonetimelyingontheicepickerelofatleastthreedifferentkindsalongandshallowone,steel-colored,mostlikethosecaughtintheriverabrightgoldenkind,withgreenishreflectionsandremarkablydeep,whichisthemostcommonhereandanother,golden-colored,andshapedlikethelast,butpepperedonthesideswithsmalldarkbrownorblackspots,intermixedwithafewfaintblood-redones,verymuchlikeatrout.Thespecificnamereticulatuswouldnotapplytothisitshouldbeguttatusrather.Theseareallveryfirmfish,andweighmorethantheirsizepromises.Theshiners,pouts,andperchalso,andindeedallthefisheswhichinhabitthispond,aremuchcleaner,handsomer,andfirmerfleshedthanthoseintheriverandmostotherponds,asthewaterispurer,andtheycaneasilybedistinguishedfromthem.Probablymanyichthyologistswouldmakenewvarietiesofsomeofthem.Therearealsoacleanraceoffrogsandtortoises,andafewmuscelsinitmuskratsandminksleavetheirtracesaboutit,andoccasionallyatravellingmud-turtlevisitsit.Sometimes,whenIpushedoffmyboatinthemorning,Idisturbedagreatmud-turtlewhichhadsecretedhimselfundertheboatinthenight.Ducksandgeesefrequentitinthespringandfall,thewhite-belliedswallows(Hirundobicolor)skimoverit,andthepeetweets(Totanusmacularius)“teter”alongitsstonyshoresallsummer.Ihavesometimesdisturbedafishhawksittingonawhite-pineoverthewaterbutIdoubtifitiseverprofanedbythewingofagull,likeFairHaven.Atmost,ittoleratesoneannualloon.Thesearealltheanimalsofconsequencewhichfrequentitnow.
Youmayseefromaboat,incalmweather,nearthesandyeasternshore,wherethewateriseightortenfeetdeep,andalsoinsomeotherpartsofthepond,somecircularheapshalfadozenfeetindiameterbyafootinheight,consistingofsmallstoneslessthanahen’segginsize,whereallaroundisbaresand.AtfirstyouwonderiftheIndianscouldhaveformedthemontheiceforanypurpose,andso,whentheicemelted,theysanktothebottombuttheyaretooregularandsomeofthemplainlytoofreshforthat.Theyaresimilartothosefoundinriversbutastherearenosuckersnorlampreyshere,Iknownotbywhatfishtheycouldbemade.Perhapstheyarethenestsofthechivin.Theselendapleasingmysterytothebottom.
Theshoreisirregularenoughnottobemonotonous.Ihaveinmymind’seyethewesternindentedwithdeepbays,theboldernorthern,andthebeautifullyscallopedsouthernshore,wheresuccessivecapesoverlapeachotherandsuggestunexploredcovesbetween.Theforesthasneversogoodasetting,norissodistinctlybeautiful,aswhenseenfromthemiddleofasmalllakeamidhillswhichrisefromthewater’sedgeforthewaterinwhichitisreflectednotonlymakesthebestforegroundinsuchacase,but,withitswindingshore,themostnaturalandagreeableboundarytoit.Thereisnorawnessnorimperfectioninitsedgethere,aswheretheaxehasclearedapart,oracultivatedfieldabutsonit.Thetreeshaveampleroomtoexpandonthewaterside,andeachsendsforthitsmostvigorousbranchinthatdirection.ThereNaturehaswovenanaturalselvage,andtheeyerisesbyjustgradationsfromthelowshrubsoftheshoretothehighesttrees.Therearefewtracesofman’shandtobeseen.Thewaterlavestheshoreasitdidathousandyearsago.
Alakeisthelandscape’smostbeautifulandexpressivefeature.Itisearth’seyelookingintowhichthebeholdermeasuresthedepthofhisownnature.Thefluviatiletreesnexttheshorearetheslendereyelasheswhichfringeit,andthewoodedhillsandcliffsaroundareitsoverhangingbrow