48 YEARBOOK, PUBLIC MUSEUM, MILWAUKEE. [Vol. I. 



On August 13th, the writer left Keshena for jMilwaukee. By that 

 date a goodly collection of material, photographs, color sketches and 

 field-notes had been ob ained. All material was safely transported to 

 the Museum and work thereon is, at this writing, progressing favorably. 

 It is hoped that we will have the Wisconsin Pond-life group fully com- 

 pleted and installed l^y the summer of 1922. 



BOTANY COLLECTING IN VILAS COUNTY, WIS. 



By H. H. Smith'' 



How could any outdoor fan resist the temptation of virgin fores'.s, 

 cool lakes, and bogs, where, on floating islands of heath and sphagnum 

 moss, the pitcher plant and sundew vie in interest with many delicate 

 orchids? The Curator of Botany could not, hence the trip to Vilas 

 county, Wisconsin. 



Camp Manitowish on Boulder lake in Vilas county, the erstwhile 

 hell-hole and gamblers' paradise, is now as meek and refined as any Sun- 

 day School Chautauqua, having been purchased l)y the State Y. M, C. A. 

 It is used during the summer from June 27th to August 29th, as a sum- 

 mer camp for boys of the state in their teens. Every facihty is there, 

 twelve fine rustic cottages, a central dining room and kitchen, fine well 

 water, a full ice-house, a caretaker's house, barn, garage, a boathouse on 

 the lake with half a dozen rowboats and a dozen good canoes, all fitted 

 with neck yokes for the portage. 



Naturally, when the use of such an outfit was ofifered free for the 

 two weeks before their season opened, no botanist would hesitate. As a 

 member of the Physical Department committee of the Milwaukee Y. M. 

 C. A., the invitation came through the local physical director, Mr. R. N. 

 Sellon, who invited us to gather there as families and pursue our own 

 devices after we arrived. So the old Overland was duly cranked and 

 wife and daughter stowed inside, with a wealth of collecting material 

 and duds. In fact the car was overflowing to the running boards. The 

 caravan met at Brown Deer at 7 A. M., June 11th, two Fords, a Buick, 

 and our Overland. 



This country is plentifully dotted with lakes, it being stated that a 

 circle of a twenty-five mile radius from the camp incloses 500 lakes, and, 

 though in the main a sandy country, ofTers some variety in its heavily 

 timbered parts. It dififers, too, from many sections of northern Wiscon- 

 sin in that there are large areas of virgin forest, where there is no sign 



*=Curator of Botany. Milwaukee Public Museum. 



