148 
THE GUIDE TO NATURE 
fully up to every current interest in the 
actions of people. The value of nature 
study, as we view it, is its general effect 
upon the observers. It is a good thing 
not only to observe the rounds of the 
months and the seasons, but also to 
observe the progress of human affairs 
as expressed in the reputable daily 
papers. 
To say that nature study should be 
the object of life, and that we should 
not take an interest in the doings of 
mankind, frequently reaches us from 
one who is overenthusiastic. We ad- 
vise reading a well made selection from 
good literature, including the best 
newspapers. Mere novel reading or 
mere newspaper reading or mere na- 
ture study reading is not the only privi- 
lege possessed by an intelligent per- 
son. As we often say in science, “It 
is well to be a specialist, but bad to be 
nothing but a specialist.” One should 
know one’s own pursuits, but there 
should be a sympathetic interest and 
an inquiring spirit in all the actions of 
humanity. 
One touch, or several touches of na- 
ture should make the whole world kin. 
That nature study which withdraws 
the naturalist from sympathetic in- 
terest with his fellow beings has to 
that extent gone amiss. 
Power in Common Things. 
BY THEODORE H. COOPER, BATAVIA, N. Y. 
A significant example showing the 
latent force in common things came to 
my notice a short time ago. A young 
friend of mine, Donald Mayled, is in- 
terested in electrochemistry and seems 
superior to the average boy of his age 
in that he has developed an interest in 
something worth while. It is truly re- 
freshing to find a boy like this among 
so many others who are frivolous and 
empty minded. 
Some time ago we had occasion to 
recharge carbon cells and as there was 
no sal ammoniac at hand we tried com- 
mon salt. Both of these compounds 
are chlorides and one seems to work as 
well as the other for experimental pur- 
poses, and as the one is so much 
cheaper than the other it is an advan- 
tage to know this. 
Even a slight knowledge of chemis- 
try is often found to be valuable in 
practical affairs. Aside from this, how- 
ever, there is the intellectual satisfac- 
tion of knowing the meaning of certain 
things. This has always been more to 
me than the application of knowledge 
to practical ends. 
The main purpose of this article is 
to impress upon the reader the fact that 
there are unknown sources of power in 
common everyday things. That “fact 
is stranger than fiction” is demon- 
strated when we find that salt can be 
turned to light. 
So many remarkable deeds are being 
accomplished in these days that the 
significance is likely to be underesti- 
mated, but think what a remarkable 
fact it is that an electric current can be 
set up by a simple chemical reaction. 
The number of new facts that may be 
discovered by making simple experi- 
ments in electricity and chemistry is 
by no means exhausted. It is really 
the simple experiments which, when in- 
telligently made, may reveal secrets, 
and the beginner’s mind is not fogged 
with heavy technical matters and so is 
susceptible to anything new which may 
result from an experiment. 
An Overgreedy Bullfrog. 
Dr. Robert T. Morris of New York 
City reports the following observation 
by his friend, Mr. H. A. C., of Rumson, 
New Jersey: 
Mr. C. has a lake on his estate and 
one day observed that an old bullfrog 
that inhabited a certain patch of lily 
pads was missing. On further search 
he found the bullfrog dead and the feet 
of a young robin protruding from its 
mouth. When he pulled this robin out 
the bullfrog still seemed to be portly 
and he removed from its stomach an- 
other young robin partly digested. We 
know that bullfrogs get out into the 
fields at night and occasionally catch 
mice or young snakes or small birds, 
but two young robins at a single meal 
seemed to have led this particular bull- 
frog to the fate of a Roman Emperor. 
Spring is On the Way. 
Spring is on the way ; 
However dark the day, 
With rain and sleet and snow. 
And winds that fiercely blow ; 
With canopy of cloud, 
The winter’s stormy shroud, 
And nights severely dark, 
Without a starry spark; 
With nature brown and sear, 
And everything so drear 
We yet have faith to say 
That spring is on the way. 
— Emma Peirce. 
