332 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



Photographs of Hawks in Flight. 



Atlantic, Iowa. 

 To the Editor : 



These hawk pictures must be held 

 above the head to give the proper po- 

 sition. Getting good pictures of birds 

 on the wing is a difficult matter. These 

 three are all of one bird, a marsh hawk, 



A Snowy Owl. 



Osage, Iowa. 

 To the Editor : 



The Guide; to Nature; is appreciated 

 and Sunday afternoon while perusing 

 the last number I made up my mind to 

 find the time this week to let the edi- 

 tor know how much I enjoy it. To me 



PHOTOGRAPHS OF HAWKS IX FLIGHT. 



and one picture shows* two exposures 

 of the same bird. These give a good 

 idea of the different positions assumed 

 by a hawk in flight. 



Few good pictures of flying birds 

 have appeared in print and to one who 

 has given much effort in getting such 

 pictures it is not surprising. There is 

 considerable difficulty in getting suffi- 

 ciently near to get a satisfactory pic- 

 ture, to say nothing of the trouble to 

 get proper lighting to 'permit such 

 short exposures as are necessary. The 

 photo must of necessity be from the 

 shadowed side of the bird since it is 

 higher than the man with the camera. 

 If it were possible to look down upon 

 the bird instead of up to it the problem 

 would be much simpler. 



If it were possible to get about half 

 a dozen characteristic positions of each 

 species of bird while on the wing, they 

 would be of great assistance in identi- 

 fication of species with which we might 

 not be fully familiar. 



Cordially, 



Frank C. PellETT. 



The growth of the knowledge of or- 

 ganic nature is a long story, full of 

 human interest. Nature has been al- 

 ways the same but the capacity of man 

 as its interpreter has varied. — Locy, 

 "Biology and Its Makers." 



the articles on astronomy and Emma 

 Peirce's exquisite verses make the 

 strongest appeal. 



If I had the latter's skill, I should 

 try to tell your readers about my first 

 live snowy owl. I had been sent out by 

 our City Federation to gather what I 

 could for the Armenian relief fund. The 

 day for the drive brought a blizzard,, 

 but I have braved so many that I did 

 not let this one stand in my way. My 

 district was a mile and a half from my 

 home. I had canvassed all the homes 

 on the south side of the street and had 

 nearly finished the north side, and with 

 head down, bent to the wind, my only 

 object was to get home where it was- 

 warm, when my good angel of whose 

 presence I am often conscious told me 

 to look up, and there sailing over the 

 chimney tops was a great white bird 

 with a wing expanse of at least three 

 feet. It seemed to be born out of the 

 throes of the storm. Just for me — al- 

 most a vision. It too had hard work to- 

 face the gale and as its body tipped I 

 saw the telltale tan feathers. 



Slouching down the road came a boy. 

 When we met I asked, "Did you see 

 that white bird?" "Ye-a, I seen it : the 

 front of it looked like an owl," and I 

 replied, "Well, the hind of it looked 

 like an owl." 



These birds are rarely seen in Iowa, 

 so I felt well paid for going into the 



