Forest life in Acadie : Sketches of sport and natural history in the lower provinces of the Canadian dominion . )le brighten the gloom as theirbroad leaves catch the sunlight ; the pigeon berry(Cornus canadensis) bedizens the moss with its well-contrasting clumps of scarlet berries ; and great bouldersof grey rock, circled over with concentric lichens, mosscovered, and their crannies filled with poUypods andoak-fern, overhang the water in stern and solitary gran-deur. Every rock projecting from the stream is seizedupon by moss, whence grow a few ferns or seedling-maples ; and the play of the s
Forest life in Acadie : Sketches of sport and natural history in the lower provinces of the Canadian dominion . )le brighten the gloom as theirbroad leaves catch the sunlight ; the pigeon berry(Cornus canadensis) bedizens the moss with its well-contrasting clumps of scarlet berries ; and great bouldersof grey rock, circled over with concentric lichens, mosscovered, and their crannies filled with poUypods andoak-fern, overhang the water in stern and solitary gran-deur. Every rock projecting from the stream is seizedupon by moss, whence grow a few ferns or seedling-maples ; and the play of the sunlight as it breaksthrough the arched foliage above and lights up theselittle groups produces most excpiisite effects. This is thehomo of the beaver and the kingfisher. The ferns amiorasses on the l)anks are trodden down by the formerin its paths, and the latter flits from bush to bush withloud rattling screams as the canoe invades its piscatorialdoniuins. At lenoth there was an obstruction in the stream overwhich the waters fell evenlv. It was a beaver-dam—a. BEAVERDAM ON THE TOBIADUC. LAKI-: DWRLLEIJS. 173 bolid construction of intenvovcn bushes and pokS, dam-ming up the water behind to a height of Ixtwei-n threeand four feet, and completely altering the features of the])rook, which from this ])oi!it was all still water. Welanded on the top to open out a portion, and therebyfacilitate the canoes being lifted over. Some of thework was (piite fresh, and green leaves tipped the endsof projecting branches ; whilst on the shore lay a pile ofwater-rotted material that had been removed, and evi-dently considered unserviceable. Stones and mud wereplentifully intermixed with the bushes, which wereniostly cut into lengths of twelve to eighteen feet, andwoven together across the stream. The top, whichwould support us all without yielding, Avas about twofeet broad, and the dam thickened below the stout bushes leaned against the construction infront. They w(^re planted in
Size: 1852px × 1349px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, booksubjecthunting, booksubjectnaturalhistory
