NEWS ITEMS 203 



PENNSYLVANIA 



Erie. Woman's Club: At the meeting of the Nature Study Department 

 of the Woman's Club on May 2d, enthusiasm ran so high that although the 

 program started at 2 .-30, it was 6 o'clock before we dismissed, and even then 

 we were hardly satisfied. A communication was read from the Penncylvama 

 department of Forestry relating to Gifford Pinchot's great work of trying 

 to restore the forests of this state, placing Pennsylvania back where she be- 

 longs — at the head of all states in Forestry. When we heard once more 

 that these forests are now a "desert" and that it is from them that the state 

 school fund is derived, we felt that "thereby hangs a tale." An illuminating 

 talk on insects, chief emphasis on the housefly, made us all anxious to swat. 

 And the Round Table on Wild Flowers made us glad once more that we 

 live in this rich region. We know that on the peninsula alone there are 

 over ninety species found nowhere else in the state, and that as a whole we 

 have a greater number of species than almost any other locality in the 

 country. 



Opportunity was given for individuals to become members of The Wild 

 Flower League of America, in the Pennsylvania Division, and one of our mem- 

 bers will accept the position of chairman for Erie county. We shall endeavor 

 to enlist the support of the Parent-Teachers Associations. 



The recent lecture of Professor Dallas- Lores Sharp on "The Magical 

 Chance," brought by the Nature Study Department, was an inspiration which 

 we were glad to be able to put before the whole 700 members of the Erie 

 Woman's Club. 

 Boy Scouts 



Here is a specimen of an Erie Boy Scout Hike which is a nature excursion, 

 and boy nature predominates: 



Report of Hike up the Peninsula 



On April 23, Troop No. 5 took its third hike this year up the peninsula. 

 Sixteen Scouts met at the Merry-go-round at Waldameer at about 1 1 o'clock 

 and then hiked up the beach. We noticed sea gulls, robins, song and English 

 sparrows, blackbirds, downy woodpeckers and thrushes. We saw others 

 which could not be identified. We noticed mattresses and chairs and other 

 things the storm had blown along the beach. A Spadacene won the prize for 

 building the first fire. Chas. Mehler passed first-class cooking and Robert 

 Smith, merit badge in cooking. After dinner a seven-inning game of base- 

 ball was played. Landers "No Runs" beating Spadacene's "Hit Em Hards" 

 22-21. Spadacene could not find his axe when we started for home at 4:30 

 o'clock. Let's have another hike soon. 



Albert Viau 



Reporter for hike. 



