XIV 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



a pitiful sight and The Guide to Na- 

 ture believes that it can do no better 

 work in behalf of trees than to oppose 

 and if possible stop this mistaken prac- 

 tice everywhere. To make certain that 

 our condemnation is just, and in accord 

 with modern dendrology and economic 

 entomology, the editor of this magazine 

 wrote to several authorities. Their 

 replies are published herewith. 



A marked copy of this appeal to 

 stop the pernicious practice will be sent 

 to a large number of Connecticut news- 

 papers. 'We hone they will copy it and 

 also publish an editorial condemning 

 this disfigurement and needless ex- 

 pense.. 



A frog, a calm, philosophic frog, I 

 insist, is wiser than an owl — that's the 

 opinion of Rana Gerump, the editor of 

 this department. Do you insist the 

 owl is wise? Then read the following: 



Unmasked. 



The bird whose wisdom is proverbial 

 cuts a ridiculous figure in a story told 

 in Mr. H. Perry Robinson's book, "Of 

 Distinguished Animals" ; moreover, the 

 manner in which he was stripped of his 

 imposing presence does not tend to 

 strengthen the belief in his sagacity. 



The physiognomy, indeed, of all owls 

 is charmingly unbirdlike. To see an 

 owl at its most ludicrous, it is neces- 

 sary to see it wet, for it is a dreadful 

 impostor in the matter of size, being 

 but a poor hapenny-worth of solid owl 



to a quite intoler- 

 able deal of fluff. 



Some years ago 

 my family possessed 

 a pair of brown owls, 

 whose cage abutted 

 on the stable yard. 

 ( )ne of the owls, be- 

 ins" brought out into 

 the day, when the 

 hot sun beat upon 

 the paving of the 

 yard, flew helplessly 

 about, and chanced 

 to settle immediately 

 under the tap of a 

 r a i n-w a t e r butt 

 which leaked. 

 d he leak was inconsiderable. Per- 

 haps a single drop fell from the tap 

 every two or three seconds. To the 

 first few drops the owl paid no atten- 



tion ; then it began to shake its head. 

 Evidently it was raining, and the owl 

 knew all about rain. It knew that 

 when rain fell in one spot it also fell 

 elsewhere, on the just no less than on 

 the unjust, and there was nothing to 

 be gained by shifting. A move of three 

 inches in any direction would have 

 kept it dry, but owls are ill-adapted to 

 walking on a level, and undertake it 

 with reluctance. 



Doubtless, too, it considered that 

 moving would be futile ; so it sat and 

 submitted to be rained upon, and grad- 

 ually it grew wetter and more wet, till, 

 "for all its feathers," it was soaked. 



The plumage of the head and neck, 

 much of which normally stands out at 

 right angles from the skin, clung close 

 to it, and to our astonished eyes the 

 true dimensions of the bird were re- 

 vealed. In place of the pompous-look- 

 ing, comfortable fowl of our daily ac- 

 quaintance, was a thing less bird than 

 gargoyle — a new and obviously mythic- 

 al creature, thin, ungainly-footed, with 

 an extraordinarily long neck, termi- 

 nating in a head which had become re- 

 solved into a beak and two huge eyes 

 blinking at us with incomparable sol- 

 emnity. — The Youth's Companion. 



Spraying for Insects and Disease. 



Extensive experiments that appear 

 to be successful have been made 

 on the Wm. Zeigler estate, Noroton, 

 Connecticut, by The Frost and Bart- 

 lett Company, in spraying for insects 

 and disease. It does seem as if the 

 materials that are useful in ridding 

 trees of insects, and those that prevent 

 the growth of fungi, may well be mixed 

 together, and used together. This is a 

 labor saving process and accomplishes 

 two excellent results at one time. 



Heigh-ho for the out of doors, 



For depths of woods, and for breezy shores, 

 For the oxygen that fills our pores, 



Heigh-ho for the out of doors. 



YOUR favorite negative enlarged to n x 14 inches, by my 

 special daylight method, is worth $1.00 to you. Send 

 plate or film with money and receive a really good 

 enlargement. Signed guarantee with each picture. 



Eugene Hurth. 



Box 131, Narberth, Pennsylvania 



