VOL. 1. 



SALKM, IOWA. APRIL, 1895. 



NO 3. 



Our Association. 



The Spring- has once more 

 come with her bright sunshine, 

 and daily, her harbingers, the 

 birds, arrive, each migration 

 bringing fresh life and song to 

 the woodland and meadow. How 

 glad our hearts and how buoyant 

 our spirits as we take our first 

 walks and rambles over the old- 

 time paths, to our collecting 

 grounds. 



While the snow yet la}^ in the 

 woods, many of us spent days in 

 search of Bubo vir}:;inianiis with 

 what results, each c^m tell. 



Then came the Red-tailed 

 Hawk, returning to the usual 

 nest, reminding us that the time 

 is near when we must collect 

 "rents." To the enthusiastic 



Naturalist every blade of grass, 

 cver}^ green leaf and bud tells of 

 the approach of the collecting- 

 season, and of happy hours with 

 our friends, the birds. 



But in the enthusiasm and ex- 

 citement of the season's collecting 

 we must not forget our associa- 

 tion. We organized it for mutual 

 benefit and exchange of notes, 

 and I am sure no one will deny 

 that it has been of great benefit 

 and advantage to all of us. This, 

 our magazine, has been improved 

 from time to time, and although 

 still in its infancj', it can boast of 

 a reasonable degree of success. 

 Our organization was not a finan- 

 cial venture, but one of common 

 benefit and increase of knowledge. 

 By it, our scope of view is enlarg-- 

 ed and we are led to look beyond 

 the narrow confines of our indi- 

 vidual observations. 



Nature is broad, free, unlimit- 



