37 o THE GUIDE TO NATURE. 



Good Work Done; Plans for the Fu- Winter Pastimes in New Hampshire, 

 ture. Grantham, New Hampshire. 



REPORT OF THE JOHNSTOWN (PENNSYL- -p Q ^ J7^i tor • 



vania) chapter, no. ion OF The "There's iron" in our northern winds, 



agassiz association For THE ur pines are trees of healing." 



year OF 1909. When I was preparing- (after a visit 



Another year has passed ; a year full to my home in the city ) for a return 



of joy for the members of Chapter to the north land in m id w inter, a 



ion. Some of us have begun to real- friend rema rked. "How dull and deso- 



ize how blind we are; how we have late the country must be in winter." 



gone along in complete ignorance of For the benefit f others who may have 



the pleasures we can get from nature the same ( m i sta ken) idea this article 



close about us. It is worth a year s j s wr itten. 



study to realize that. What is there in the city to compare 

 The first part of the year was spent with a tramp across the fields and 

 in the study of our common moths and through the woods, on the snow crust, 

 butterflies. This was followed with a with a c i oll dless sky of deepest blue 

 study of the dragon flies. Miss Dixon, above an d m n es of unbroken whiteness 

 who is making a special study of the stretching away as far as the eye can 

 ferns of this locality, has given us reac h, even to the mountain tops which 

 many interesting talks. glisten in the brilliant sunshine as if 

 In October the Chapter purchased covere d with precious stones. How 

 an aquarium. It has given us much f ra g ran t the pines and fir balsam are, 

 amusement and interesting informa- and h ow st jn anc i pure everything 

 tion, for it has been stocked with sev- see ms. Little brown cones give touches 

 eral kinds of fishes and tadpoles. At Q f color to t h e snow, while tiny tracks 

 one meeting one of these tadpoles was mar k the wanderings of the shy wood- 

 chloroformed and the circulation of the ] and creatures, 



blood in its tail was microscopically j especially enjoy following the 



examined. This was very instructive. f rozen course "of a brooklet, that I may 



With the approach of Halley's comet, s t u dy the wonderful ice formations, 



astronomy seems to have taken a what perfect crystals, stars, mosses, 



strong hold on some of our members. f erns and pure flowers ! This morning, 



This is not without a good result, for March third, I found pussy willows, 



the general discussions we have at our a cocoon Q f the Cecropia moth (which 



meetings bring out many interesting j brought in and placed in a sunny 



facts. window that I might watch the hand- 



Our meetings are now held every some inmate emerge from its home) 



Monday afternoon at four o'clock and am | some rare fungi. What a picture 



usually last until 5 130. We cannot ac- t he tree trunks made, covered with 

 complish a great deal in an hour and lichens in red, gold and the richest 

 a half, but it is enough to stimulate shades of green. 



us to more scientific study, more in- Qne walk I shall not soon forget, 



telligent and consistent study. If we [ was struggling up a steep hillside, on 

 can always do that it is all you can t he slippery crust, by clinging to the 

 ask. branches of the spruces, when a limb 



The members of the Chapter have broke and I slid swiftly down the hill, 

 at last realized, after two years, that lodging at last in a tree, fortunately un- 

 they must work on a scientific basis, injured. 



They realize that they cannot study For company one has the birds. I 



butterflies at one meeting and comets nave been feeding them, and often have 

 at the next and know much about ten blue jays on the lawn together. 

 either. How pretty they look in their suits 



Our plans for 1910 assure us it will of blue and grey, running about on 

 be a notable year for Chapter ion. the snow. Sometimes a little red squir- 



P". W. WoleE, Secretary. rel joins them. What a saucy, mischief 



