ICJ2 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



County Club house here is ideally sit- 

 uated for observing" this valley. 



Conyngham Pass was the scene of a 

 massacre of a small squad of soldiers 

 by Indians in the year 1780. The exact 

 spot is somewhat in doubt but the evi- 

 dence at hand indicates the County 

 Club grounds. 



Within the past few years camping 

 in tents and bungalows throughout this 

 valley has been much in vogue and is 

 well worth the attention of those so 

 inclined. The Wilkes-Barre and Hazle- 

 ton third-rail trolley-system running 

 between Hazleton and Wilkes-Barre, 

 a distance of thirty miles, passes 

 through the middle of this grand scene, 

 across the valleys and over the hills 

 and mountains, thus affording to the 

 general public a treat to the eye and a 

 treasure for the memory at any season 

 of the vear. 



Photographing a Woodcock on the 

 Nest. 



BY E. VANBERWERKEN, STAMFORD, CONN. 



This woodcock's nest was found by 

 my son and a companion in the first 

 week of April. They did not know 

 what bird could lay eggs in a place so 

 open, and with so slight a nest. On 

 their return they told me about the 

 find and asked what bird I thought it 

 could be. The woodcock is the only 

 game bird that I know that breeds as 

 early as March and April. I knew at 

 once that they must be the woodcock's 

 eggs. 



At the next visit they found the bird 

 on the nest, and continued to visit her 

 every week, being careful not to let 



the dogs go near her. The bird soon 

 became used to them. 



I went out to get the snapshots just 

 before the eggs hatched. By careful 

 movements I got within three feet. It 

 was late and a little cloudy when the 

 picture was taken, so I fear the bird 

 will not show up well. 



After exposing the plate I gently ad- 

 vanced near enough to touch her on 

 the head with a little piece of dry gold- 

 en rod about a foot long. I think I 

 could have touched her as easily, and 

 she would have remained on the nest. 

 The boys found another nest near this 

 one. I took three or four pictures of 

 that, but owing to the lateness of the 

 hour and a somewhat imperfect instru- 

 ment, I did not succeed in getting good 

 photographs. 



I think there were more woodcock 

 nests in this part of the country than 

 usual this season, owing to the cold, 

 late spring. 



It is surprising how tame the old 

 bird becomes if one is only gentle. She 

 soon loses all fear, when setting. It 

 seems too bad to educate them to the 

 opposite by shooting at them. That 

 large eye looks not unlike the deer's 

 and it almost gives one a touch of 

 what is called buck fever when one 

 thinks of shooting at such a sight. 



The Best Kind of Hawk Hunting. 



Mulino, Oregon. 



To the Editor : 



Having read with interest Mr. Job's 

 article in the August number, I am en- 

 closing photographs showing my fav- 

 orite method of hunting hawks and 



MR. VANDERWERKEN'S TWO PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE WOODCOCK ON THE NEST. 



