calendar for 1961 



4 S 

 II 12 

 18 19 

 25 26 



TWTFS JULY 



I The yellow Nelumbo, or water chinquapin, an aqua- 

 6 7 8 tic plant of lakes, ponds, and quiet streams, opens its 

 13 14 IS four to ten-inch, pale yellow flowers in July. Its large 

 20 21 22 circular leaves curl and sway above the water, borne 

 27 28 29 on stout stems attached to the center of the under- 

 surface of the leaf. Widely distributed east of the 

 Mississippi, it is nonetheless rare in its range. In the 

 Chicago area, Grass Lake in the Fox Lake region is 

 famous for them. Indians roasted and ate lotus seeds 

 **"* also the^ tuberous roots. 



The oriental lotus, or sacred bean, 

 is like the American lotus except that 

 its flowers are pink. It has figured 

 extensively as a symbol in the art and 

 religions of India and other Asiatic 

 countries. The Egyptian lotus, a 

 water lily belonging to a different 

 genus, was also a symbol used in 

 that country's art and religion. 



© 



The traditional birthstone for August is 

 e mineral sardonyx. A form of chalcedony, 

 hydrated silica, it has a transparent, deep 

 ddish-brown color alternating with black { 



white bands. Its name is derived from 

 irdis, the capital of the ancient kingdom 



Lydia in Asia Minor. Long used in the 

 aking of intaglios and cameos, this orna- 

 ental stone was also prized as a signet for 

 arking wax seals, because, as Pliny states, 1 

 ,t signeth very faire without any of the wax 

 icking to it." St. John refers to it as one of 

 »e 12 gemstones in the walls of New Jerusa- 

 m. And a traditional verse warns: 



Wear a sardonyx, or for thee 

 No conjugal felicity! 



[o wonder that now, as in ancient times, good 

 uality sardonyx is still sought after by gem 

 utters! 



AUGUST 



S M T W T F S 



12 3 4 5 



6 7 8 910 II 12 



13 14 15 16 17 18 19 



20 21 22 23 24 25 26 



27 28 29 30 31 



One of the first signs of fall is the migration of the Monarch butterfly, 

 n early September, during the peak of the flights, one can watch a 

 ontinual stream of Monarchs as they move south along thelakefront, 

 5 to 30 feet above the ground. Those that pass through or leave from 

 he Chicago area probably go on to the gulf states or northern Mexico. 

 in route, large aggregations numbering 

 nany thousands of butterflies may gather 

 nd roost overnight on trees and shrubs, 

 'hey may be attracted to favorite trees 

 ear after year. At least two annual roost- 

 ig places have been known in Lincoln Park, 

 n some localities the migrants overwinter 

 l large inactive colonies. Some famous 

 verwintering sites are protected by law. 



s m t w t f s 

 I 2 



3 4 5 6 7 8 9 

 10 II 12 13 14 15 16 

 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 

 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 



© 



SEPTEMBER 



Witch hazel trees, like old coquettes, 

 sportively decorate their branches and 

 twigs with yellow flowers when most 

 plants of our climate have given up 

 for the season and are settling down 

 for the winter. Even as it is dropping 

 its own yellow, wavy-edged leaves and 

 popping its seeds from woody, two- 

 beaked capsules started in growth a. 

 year before, the witch hazel unrolls 

 four curious, strap-like petals in each 

 flower, and clusters the flowers in yel- 

 low, tousled heads at points where 

 leaves are or were attached to twigs. 

 Forked branches of witch hazel have 

 been used in rhabdomancy in the same 

 manner as the European hazel and 



I 2 3 4 5 6 7 

 8 9 10 II 12 13 14 

 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 



22 23 24 25 26 27 28 

 29 30 31 



OCTOBER 



barbered man is unfamiliar with aro- 

 matic, astringent, witch hazel lotion. 



NOVEMBER 



S M T W T F S 



12 3 4 



5 6 7 8 9 10 II 



12 13 14 15 16 17 18 



19 20 21 22 23 24 25 



i 27 28 29 30 



This is the month of the water- 

 fowl, the ducks and geese that seem 

 almost reluctant to leave until the 

 first freeze locks the small lakes and 

 ponds and drives them south. Stand 

 outside on a raw November morning 

 with low flying clouds and snow 

 squalls in the air, and first you will 

 hear a faint, wild honking, and soon 

 you will see the ragged V's of the 

 Canada geese driving south before 

 the wind. As they pass by they will 

 be joined by earlier migrants who 

 remained with us for a while. But 

 this is not the end of our waterfowl, 

 ■^B for already the winter ducks are on 



\^J Lake Michigan, and when the north- 



easterly winds blow, golden-eyes, 

 old-squaws and mergansers will take shelter in our 

 harbors, where even the city dwellers can enjoy them. 



DECEMBER 



The Temple of Heaven is part of D F f"* F Ai 

 a ceremonial complex formerly de- l/LV. L IV 

 voted to the observation of the win- - - . 



ter solstice by the Chinese emper- 

 ors at Peking. At the turn of the sun 

 each December the Emperor, repre- 

 senting his people before Heaven, 

 was the chief figure in a severely 

 formal ritual. Following two days 

 of fasting, the Emperor proceeded A 

 to the Temple of Heaven to make .% 

 obeisance to Heaven and the im- % 

 perial ancestors. After a final night 

 of spiritual preparation in the Hall ;# 

 of Abstinence, the Emperor moved 

 at dawn to the Altar of Heaven, 

 a low, circular, three-tiered struc- 

 ture of white marble, oriented to conform with the 

 cardinal directions. In the exact center of this large 

 and elegant structure, the Emperor fulfilled his re- 

 ligious and ceremonial obligations to Heaven, thus 

 assuring the continued welfare of the State. 



I 2 



3 4 5 6 7 8 9 

 10 II 12 13 14 15 16 

 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 

 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 

 31 



<t<l.«. «»#«{f 



rftict 



