A DAY WITH A NATURE GUIDE 191 



plant and bird and animal life had been swept 

 southward by the irresistible, slow-moving glacier. 

 On the mountains the seeds grew, found a home; 

 so, too, the ptarmigan, in conditions somewhat 

 similar to the old home in the Arctic. In this new 

 colony these birds and flowers still maintain the 

 traditions of their respective old families. 



"I am disappointed in finding bird life so rare," 

 said one man of the party. "I have seen only one 

 bird this morning." The guide remarked that he 

 had seen at least twelve species of birds, and that 

 directly before them at that moment were three 

 species in plain sight. Why had he seen but a 

 single bird? His eyes had not been trained to see. 

 A day with a nature guide may help to train the 

 eyes and all the senses. 



A picnic party usually does much talking and 

 more eating. A sight-seeing party often does 

 things by the book and talks by comparison. A 

 botany or a birding party is absorbed in details. 

 But a nature guided party is vastly different from 

 these: all of the party have a broad outdoor inter- 

 est. They are not in a hurry, they are in a mood to 

 be human. They make intimate friendships while 

 getting acquainted with nature. One day's com- 

 panionship in the wilds often better^acquaints peo- 

 ple with each other than years of ordinary associa- 

 tion. The members of a nature guided party take 

 on a wider, happier outlook. All are glad to be 

 living. 



