Watchers at the Pond (1)

Franklin Russell. New York: Time Incorporated. 1961.

Why read it? Describes the changes in the pond during the cycle of the seasons.

Sample quotes and ideas:

“This book will show you that the world you live in is a rich and wonderful place and it will show you how little we know about it.” Gerald Durrell. xvii.

“These creatures had neither the time nor the instinct to know all the incredible pond.” p. 11.

“The hunted hare knew fear in all the pond’s seasons, but his life was only a fraction of this complex cosmos.” p. 11.

“About five hundred million earthworms were asleep around the pond.” p. 15.

“When the flies began emerging from their sleep, the pond would sound to the roar, rasp, whine, screech, drone and rumble of their wings.” p. 21.

“Nowhere did the snow disclose its real structure, which was founded on one constant mathematical fact: Every particle of it was formed on some variation of six…and whatever the complexity of a flake each was a perfectly symmetrical unit.” p. 39.

“In a hollow tree filled with rotten wood, thirty-eight thousand drowsy fertilized mosquitoes began stirring.” p. 55.

“The diversity of life in this miniature universe seemed infinite.” p. 61.

To be continued.