MISCELLANEOUS 



357 



The Rattlesnake Does Not Jump For- 

 ward. 



BY RAYxMOND L. DITMARS, NEW YORK CITY. 



A rattlesnake never springs at liis 

 victim. If it strikes hard while o:: 

 smooth ground, it may involuntarily 

 slide forward a foot or so, but the strike 

 is usually made by the straightening 

 of the snake's body. I have never 

 heard, from any reliable sotirce, of a 

 rattler's springing at its victim. 



A naturalist in the Philippine Islands 

 reports that, even after fifteen years of 

 American occupation, it is still possible 

 to enter almpst anywhere one of the 

 larger forests and there stumble upon 

 magnificent trees that are wholly un- 

 known to science. 



Appreciation of Lectures. 



It is a pleasure to be able to say to 

 you that your lecture was enjoyed most 

 thoroughly by all the faculty. It was 

 like a breath of the out of doors and has 

 done a great deal to stimulate the inter- 

 est in nature at large and in the school- 

 room. — Edward Sargent, Superinten- 

 dent of Meadville Public Schools, 

 Meadville, Pennsylvania. 



Dr. Bigelow, the noted Scout Natur- 

 alist, last week led the Boy Scouts of 

 Pittsburgh and their friends in a most 

 instructive and interesting "hike" by 

 means of his illustrated lecture — "Jour- 

 neys About Home — Roadsides, Fields 

 and Forest." The lecture was given 

 before four evening audiences in con- 

 nection with our Evening Extension 

 Work. Everybody was pleased and the 

 Boy Scouts were simply de-lighted. 



Dr. Bigelow's lectures are distinctly 

 worth while and are especially valuable 

 to all students and lovers of nature. — J. 

 M. Berkey, Director of Special Schools, 

 Pittsburgh. Pa. 



Just a few lines to say that we, teach- 

 ers and all, pupils included, very much 

 appreciated your illustrated lecture on 

 "Journeys about Home — Roadsides, 

 Fields and Forests," given to us on the 

 evening of February 2nd. The illus- 

 trations were the best I had ever seen, 

 but the majority of the teachers liked 

 vour morning lecture on "The Child or 



Vou" much l)etter than the illustrated 

 lecture. It was full of sound pedagogi- 

 cal truths and yet was fair from both 

 angles. 1 have heard many expres- 

 sions of appreciation and requests that 

 you be asked to return to our Institute 

 at some future date. — James L. Allison, 

 Superintendent of Public Schools, Wil- 

 kinsburg, Pennsvlvania. 



It is generally agreed that Edward 

 F. Bigelow, of ArcAdiA : Sound Beach, 

 Connecticut, is one of the most inter- 

 esting instructors of any who have ad- 

 dressed the institute in recent years. 

 His talks are not only intertaining but 

 are based along lines that will prepare 

 teachers for the new vocational work 

 that will be expected of them this 

 spring, and his subjects cover a wide 

 range. Mr. Bigelow's lectures have at- 

 tracted considerable attention locally 

 and there have been many in atten- 

 dance who are not connected with the 

 teaching stafif of the county. These 

 visitors are cordially welcomed by the 

 pedagogues. — "The Danville Gazette," 

 Danville, Indiana. 



Good Words for This Magazine. 



I thought I could do without your 

 delightful little magazine this year but 

 I cannot. Will save some other way. — 

 Mrs. J. \N. Hughs, Ellisburg, New 

 York. 



I am enjoying every number and am 

 intending to delve more deeply into 

 Nature when some household burdens 

 are lifted. Truly one cannot become 

 dreary when The Guide to Nature en- 

 ters the home. — Miss ]\Iay M. Michel, 

 Osage City, Kansas. 



It gives me great pleasure to renew 

 my subscription to The Guide to Na- 

 ture. The idealistic spirit of its arti- 

 cles, the superb photographs and its in- 

 timate presentation of all fields in na- 

 ture make it the most interesting mag- 

 azine open to our students in biology. 

 — Paul B. Mann, Head of Biology De- 

 partment, The Evander Childs High 

 School, Ne\v York Citv. 



