THE OdLOGIST. 



141 



teat should be large enough to accomo- 

 date the party comfortably, so that in 

 case of rain, you will not be packed in 

 like sardines, which is often the case. 



One word about the place to pitch 

 the tent. We always w.aut to be near 

 a. stream of watei\ but the lowlands 

 are very often unhealthy, so pitch the 

 tent, if possible on a bluff, near a group 

 of medium sized trees Large ones are 

 very apt to blow down, in case of a 

 heavy wind storm. In digging the 

 treuch around the tent, throw the dirt 

 up against the sides, so that you not 

 only have a protection against the rain, 

 but a protection against reptiles. 



Each person should be sure to take 

 the following outfit; An empty tick (to 

 be filled after you reach your destina- 

 tion if convenient) or a cot, a camp 

 stool, two blankets, two tin cups, two 

 knives and forks, and two spoons, be- 

 sides the necessary cooking utensils, 

 there should be a good tight box for 

 the provisions. Of course you are to 

 decide the provisions that you want to 

 take but be sure to take enough grease 

 to fry game with. 



The last time that I was out camping 

 I ran out of lard but I happened to 

 have a lot of breakfast bacon with me, 

 so I rendered the lard from it and 

 found that it was a very good sub- 

 stitute. 



You will probably want to get bird 

 skins and eggs, so be sure to take the 

 necessary instruments, for there is 

 nothing so aggravating, as to secure a 

 tine specimen and then not be able to 

 save it. 



You can hang the hooks from the 

 ridge-pole, and have almost as conven- 

 ient a place as if you were in your 

 room at home. 



Of all things do not touch the top of 

 the tent if it is raining, unless you want 

 to get a ducking. One of the first 

 times that I slept in a tent, was a night 

 when the rain was pouring down and 

 as things were new to me, I could not go 



to sleep. Notthinkingwhat I was doing 

 (fori had been warned before hand) I 

 reached up and rubbed the tent, direct- 

 ly over my head. In a minute or two 

 the water commenced to splash in my 

 face, and -finally I had to get up and 

 move my bed but I had to go to sleep 

 on a water-soaked pillow. 



On a pleasant night I prefer to sleep 

 in a hammock, but I think that those 

 who have been camping near a piece 

 of woods, will agree with me when I 

 say that the beginner will find the tent 

 more comfortable, when the owls, 

 ^specially the screech owls, begin to 

 hoot. I used to think that I never 

 would get used to the shrill cry of the 

 screech owl. 



I don't ■ think that you will need 

 a revolver with you. I have camped 

 out several times in the woods, and 

 have never seen the time when I need- 

 ed one. My collecting gun is the only 

 arm that I ever take with me, except a 

 strong hunting knife, that I use for 

 every thing that you can think of, from 

 cutting off a limb of a tree that has a 

 birds nest on it and skinning game to 

 splitting kindling. 



Curtis Wright Jr. 

 Carthage, Mo. 



Short-billed Marsh Wren. 



Cistothorus stellaris. 



This very peculiar, somewhat rare, 

 and extremely interesting species of the 

 Wren family is an abundant summer 

 resident of North Western Iowa. Its ar- 

 rival and departure are both little notic- 

 ed and little oknown. It must arrive 

 quite early as will be seen by some of 

 the breeding dates which will occur in 

 this sketch. For the same reason it must 

 depart rather late. It is a bird that the 

 casual observer will never distinguish 

 from the common, "sparrow", "grass 

 bird," etc., with which he imagines 

 himself to be acquainted. After ar- 



