250 THE ADVENTURES OF A NATURE GUIDE 



classification. He creates more permanent in- 

 terest in the biography of a single tree than in 

 the naming of many trees. 



Fortunate the individual who has nature for an 

 outside interest. A well-known New York law- 

 yer specializes during vacations on animal life — 

 any animal — horse, chipmunk, or dog; this he 

 watches and enjoys. It is well for each outdoor 

 individual of limited time, while satisfying a gen- 

 eral interest, to specialize on some one thing. 



A guide also may specialize, but when he is out 

 with a miscellaneous party he needs to be almost 

 as universal as Nature herself. 



In using the wondrous wealth of natural history 

 the nature guide has extraordinary opportunities. 

 He can be a mighty factor in helping people to 

 determine how they will best spend their leisure 

 hours. People are made and nations perpetuated 

 through the right use of leisure time. 



The following outline is a plan that we have 

 used effectively in arousing interest in many an 

 object. It may be adapted and used to fix in- 

 terest upon any species of tree or plant, bird or 

 animal; with modifications used in discussing 

 geology. The idea of this plan is to give an 

 interesting biography of every object considered — 

 its name, classification, and family being wholly 

 secondary. 



Wind and water, birds and animals, scatter tree 

 seeds — give them adventurous transportation in 



