EDITORIAL. 



17 



in a western mine, and the newspapers 

 sensationalize the affair. We believe 

 that scientists, naturalists and the "gen- 

 eral reader" want the truth set forth by 

 some one who knows and will not dis- 

 tort. This is to be an important mission 

 of "The Guide to Nature." It shall di- 

 rect to the latest and best things in na- 

 ture, in discovery and research and in oc- 

 currences of general scientific interest. 

 To that end, the editor appeals to every 

 reader to become "a reporter." Send at 

 least a notice of the event with the ad- 

 dress of some one who knows the facts 

 and from whom particulars may be 

 obtained. 



"The Guide" is a magazine of nature 

 literature and of news from nature. 



Every article, item or comment in the 

 magazine, not otherwise credited, is 

 written by the editor or by some of his 

 assistants under his personal supervis- 

 ion. 



NAMES RATHER THAN CHARACTERIS- 

 TICS. 



Mr Willard N. Clute, editor of the 

 American Botanist, in a letter to the 

 Nature Study Review makes this very 

 important suggestion : 



"I ask whether many of the adults who 

 claim to be interested in nature are really 

 so. How man\ T do you know that are 

 enough interested in nature to prefer 



the study of it to other things? How 

 many who study nature by themselves 

 and bring home no specimens? Mighty 

 few, I'll warrant! I have been trying 

 for seven years to get our people to take 

 a real interest in plants by publishing 

 all the curious and remarkable things 

 about them that I can find in books, the 

 periodicals and the field ; but to very 

 small avail. Meanwhile Dana's "How 

 to Know the Wild Flowers," which 

 guides one to the names of his specimens, 

 has sold 65,000 copies. How many of 

 our students of botany do you suppose 

 keep up the study after they leave high 

 school ? Not many." 



What is wanted, as Agassiz said, is 

 "Study nature, and not books." Know 

 the things, not catalogues of names. 



A TENDRIL SOLILOQUY. 



I sat on a crumbling stone wall at the 

 edge of a swamp, with my camera and 

 collecting box at my side. I was tired. 

 I had been tramping for miles, but in 

 the last half hour had found little of 

 special interest or value. Perhaps that 

 made me pessimistic, for my thoughts 

 ran in a "Persian Garden" style. I felt 

 like asking myself, as the old farmer had 

 asked me an hour or so before, "Have 

 ye lost anything, Mister?" 



Seriously, let me introspect, let me 



HOW MUTUALLY HELPFUL, HOW EACH SUPPORTS AND IS SUPPORTED TOWARD 



A LIFE THAT SHALL BE HIGHER AND BETTER LIGHTED." 



This reminds me of many " missionary," hard working students and lovers of nature. 



