The Lay of the Band 
If my skeptic found no fiddler crabs along her sea- 
shore, found nothing of interest smaller and more 
thing-like than color and fresh air, it may be that 
she did not understand how to look for crabs and 
things. 
To go to the seashore for one June, to the moun- 
tains for a second, to the farm for a third, is not a 
good way to study the out-of-doors. A better way is 
to spend all three Junes at this shore or upon this 
same farm. It is when one abides upon the farm, 
indeed, the year around, through several Junes, that 
one discovers the woodchucks. The clover is too high 
in June. As one of twelve, June is a very good 
month to be out of doors ; but as a season for nature 
study,—no single month, not even June, is satis- 
factory. 
It takes time and patience and close watching to 
discover woodchucks. This means a limited terri- 
tory ; one can easily have too much ground to culti- 
vate. I know a man who owns five hundred acres of 
Jersey pine barrens, and who can hardly till enough 
of it to pay taxes, whereas a friend of mine here near 
Boston is quietly getting rich on three acres and a 
half. 
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