Lake Umbagog.
1907.
August.
  Yet there are popular writers, widely read and
apparently very generally credited, who assert that it has been
their frequent experience, when camping in the remote parts of
Northern New England or of eastern Canada, to meet with the
mammals just mentioned and to see them do all manner
of strange and wonderful things. Some of their accounts of
the habits and especially of the reasoning powers of these
and other animals are so grossly absurd and improbable
that they are not likely to do any considerable or at least
permanent harm. Indeed they may safely be left to discredit
themselves for this they will surely do, sooner or later.
The misrepresentation on the part of such writers of the
general conditions with respect to animal life which exist in primitive
forests is more dangerous and pernicious because, like most
false coloring, it is too vague and subtle, and also too
nearly possible, to be easily analyzed and convincingly
exposed. Whenever their statements are
publicly questioned these "Natures fakers", as they have
come to be called, defend themselves rather plausibly and
effectively by insisting that evidence
or opinion contrary to their own is of necessity, negative
in character and hence of little weight. Because others
have not seen this or that is no good reason, they assert,
for doubting that is has occurred or may exist.
They will suggest that the doubter has not had favorable opportunities
for investigation and observation or having had
them has not made good use of them. If he be a sportsman 
or a collector they delight to picture him as a bloodthirsty being habitually carrying a gun in his hands and the lust
of killing in his heart. If he would become really
familiar with the wood folk and their ways