EDITORIAL AND GENERAL. 



153 



ally patronized, a fact that shows an 

 intense interest on the part of the pub- 

 lic. We have had for years innumer- 

 able societies for the observation of 

 birds, plants insects, minerals — of 

 everything but aquaria. Let us form 

 AA Chapters largely devoted to aqua- 

 ria. It is an undeveloped and inter- 

 esting field. It is true that an occa- 

 sional aquarium is to be seen in school 

 or home. But are not most of them 

 neglected or ill kept or far short of 

 their possibilities through ignorance 

 as to what may be done? Let us de- 

 velop that field. 



MICRO-AQUARIA. 



Then, too, think of the possibilities 

 of aquaria devoted to microscopic life. 

 A glass cup or a shallow, wide- 

 mouthed jar containing water from the 

 nearest ditch or mill pond, and with a 

 spray or two of some aquatic plant 

 collected from the same source, will 

 supply an abundance of microscopic 

 life of many kinds and become a pro- 

 lific hunting ground for the micros- 

 copist, although he may have only a 

 small instrument and low magnifying 

 power. Every drop from such an 

 aquarium will show him something 

 that he has never before seen and 

 which he could never see without such 

 a microscopical aquarium. Such a 

 vessel rapidly and easily prepared, and 

 kept covered by a piece of glass, will 

 remain in good condition for months. 

 It will demand only an occasional ad- 

 dition of a little water and a fresh 

 spray or two of the aquatic plant, all 

 of which costs nothing but is worth 

 much. 



What's The Use? 



Now be frank, you repeated askers 

 of that question, "What's the 'use' ' 

 of this or that? You mean wherein 

 can you wear it or eat it or wherein 

 does it produce something you can 

 wear or eat. Isn't life more than stom- 

 ach or protection from the weather? 

 I can imagine a dog, horse or pig ask- 

 ing, "What's the use?" meaning only 

 can I eat it or will it give me protec- 

 tion from storm, shade in heat or 

 warmth in cold ; but it is difficult to 

 realize mentally, or shall I say spirit- 

 ually, a human being bringing every- 



thing to the level of food or shelter. 

 Have we no spirit of esthetics, no 

 pleasure in abstract thought, no em- 

 ployment for faculties above those of 

 the mere animal that we must insist 

 and argue about the physical use of all, 

 things? True, let us admit it, a cavy 

 isn't the best animal to raise for meat; 

 a fantail isn't equal to a chicken ; list- 

 ening to the music of an oriole may 

 not "pay" as well as listening to a 

 stock "ticker;" but all these that you 

 regard as inferior become superior the 

 moment you look at the subject from 

 the human and not the animal point 

 of' view. If thought, love, apprecia- 

 tion of beauty and similar faculties are 

 the highest attributes of humanity, 

 then one who lives in that realm and 

 exercises those faculties on the songs 

 of birds, the beauty of star or flower, 

 insect or pet, may well ask of what use 

 are your utilitarian interests. A Great 

 Naturalist centuries ago pointed out 

 that it is possible to gain the whole 

 world and lose one's soul. 



Removal of Cat's Kittens. 



One of our most appreciative natur- 

 alist friends writes as follows : 



"I am much pleased with the May 

 number of The Guide to Nature, but 

 I want to criticise the owner of the 

 cat which adopted the squirrels. A 

 cat should never be deprived of all her 

 kittens. If she is allowed to raise one 

 of them it will generally make a good 

 animal. My mother's rule was to al- 

 low the cat to make her own selection 

 of her favorite baby by removing the 

 kittens from the nest and allowing the 

 cat to pick out one and take it back 

 on the theory that the mother would 

 naturally pick her favorite baby first. 

 Occasionally, however, there may be 

 some choice on the part of the owner 

 as to the markings of the kittens in 

 which case it may be necessary to al- 

 low the mother only a limited choice." 



I am delighted with The Guide to 

 Nature and am talking it up wher- 

 ever I get a chance. It should be in 

 every school, every library and every 

 reading room in the United States. 

 It is wholesome, instructive, clean and 

 handsome. — Geo. W. Geist. 



