THE SPORTSMAN AND GEOLOGY. 



KIRBY THOMAS. 



The true sportsman, be he a devotee of 

 the gun or a disciple of Mr. Walton, loves 

 Nature and her varying manifestations. 

 He is a naturalist by instinct, and his ob- 

 servations of natural phenomena are a sat- 

 isfaction to him. Often they are not scien- 

 tific, nor is his knowledge classified ; but 

 the trees and grasses, the beasts and the 

 birds, the rocks and soils, the lakes and 

 rivers, are all associated definitely with his 

 pleasures afield. What sportsman has not 

 paused on the hot trail of game to observe 

 and enjoy a rare bit of mountain scenery 

 or a gemlike lake which burst in view 

 from his unfrequented path? What angler 

 has not ceased to cunningly cast his 

 line, for a view of sputtering, murmuring 

 falls or a secluded and shadowed bend in 

 the stream, mirroring sky and tree? It is not 

 alone the excitement of the chase or the 

 delightful uncertainty of angling which at- 

 tracts the sportsman, it is Nature. Some 

 take pleasure in observing her manifesta- 

 tions more in detail. These are the sports- 

 men naturalists. This one knows zoology, 

 or, better, animalology. When the game 

 is quiet or scarce he finds satisfaction in 

 observing the beasts and the birds. He 

 studies their characteristics and habits. He 

 knows the name of a score of birds which 

 never get into the hunter's bag. This 

 sportsman . never returns empty handed 

 from the hunt. He learns something every 

 time he goes afield. 



Another is an amateur botanist. As he 

 trudges through the forest or plunges 

 astream after the fascinating finny fellows, 

 he notices the trees, the herbs and the flow- 

 ers. Perhaps he picks some curious and 

 interesting specimens. He learns from his 

 guide the haunts of this rare plant, the 

 flowering season of that strange herb. He 

 drinks in 'the great literature of the woods, 

 full of legends and allegory and rich in 

 true poetic figures and fancies. He con- 

 firms the science of botany he has learned 

 from books and adds a store of practical 

 knowledge of plant life. His is always a 

 full day when abroad, no matter what the 

 condition of the side basket. Both these 

 sportsmen scientists find great pleasure in 

 supplementing their trips by reading popu- 

 lar books and magazines along the line of 

 their particular observation. 



Another sportsman scientist makes a 

 hobby of geology. This is no indoor study. 

 It can only be thoroughly learned and en- 

 joyed by observations in the field. It is the 

 study of the book of the earth, indelibly 

 and legibly written in mountains, valleys, 

 plains and seas by Nature herself. This 



book is everywhere, and always presents 

 new and interesting chapters. If the hunt- 

 er knows the language of geology, he can 

 read a page of this book as he climbs the 

 crags ot the unfrequented mountain. Per- 

 haps a day's journey may reveal an inter- 

 esting story, covering millions of years, and 

 unfolding great catastrophes such as no 

 records of man can disclose. As the ang- 

 ler follows a stream from lake to source he 

 can see Nature today making geology in 

 the deposits of silt and sand in the lake and 

 the eating away of hills and rocks by the 

 never ceasing tooth of the running stream. 

 And all this can be observed incidentally 

 to the main purposes of the trip. 



The general principles of geology are not 

 hard to learn. One of a dozen good text- 

 books will give the searcher after the 

 knowledge a clear idea of the general theo- 

 ries of the science. A few winter nights 

 spent in study will familiarize him with 

 the more common terms used in the science, 

 while an occasional odd hour given to read- 

 ing the classics of geology will instill the 

 proper spirit into the slowest intellect. 

 Then he is ready for field work. The va- 

 rious State and Government geological re- 

 ports on localities usually give details and 

 local geological applications. These reports 

 can generally be obtained for the asking, or 

 are available in all public libraries. Every 

 sportsman is necessarily a close observer. 

 Let him turn that faculty to geology, and he 

 will have a never failing pleasure when 

 afield. He will never be lonely, for he will 

 have always with him a serial of the most 

 interesting plot and greatest mystery which 

 he may read as he runs. 



It is a great advantage to associate in the 

 field with a geological crank as a means of 

 learning the first lessons, and acquiring 

 proper methods. In almost every commu- 

 nity such a man can be found, and he will 

 usually be willing to tramp all day with an 

 appreciative listener for the privilege of 

 telling his story and making new observa- 

 tions. Perhaps he may be ignorant of 

 books, but wise in experience ; or he may 

 be some well read man who loves geology 

 and never tires of it. 



The observations of a trip all supplement 

 and illuminate the reading which the 

 sportsman geologist has done and enlighten 

 many an hour's subsequent reading at home 

 when the season is over. To see Nature 

 with intelligent eyes and then to compare, 

 by reading, your experiences with those of 

 others is a delightful way of becoming ed- 

 ucated. 

 Incident to the study of geology afield, 



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