Page:Bird-lore Vol 08.djvu/185

 The Scarlet Tanager By WILJJAM DUTCHEK President ol the National Association oi Audubon ' ..■ iliattonal #00octatton ot Audubon fejoftfiirs EDUCATIONAL LEAFLET NO. 9.1 It is the wish of the writer to repeal here whai has been said in previous leaflets, that the fundamental object of this series of publication induce the student, as well as the agriculturist, to gel in < lose tou< h with Nature itself, not through books oi the classroom bui oui in the open Nor must this association be restricted to one subjeel birds; it musi broad and general, embracing all of Nature, in order to be oi the gr< atesi educational value. The fabri< woven by Nature is of sm h exquisite pi that each thread must be examined in ordei to enable on< to appreciate the composite' whole. The bird stui ■ ni n;itur;dly <-< to < onsidej manj phas< of nature, insects, plants and especially tree: I ther< any mor< beautiful feature of out-of-door life than a forest? The trees of the foresi are a lesson of patient endeavor, and their hoary trunk-, indicate th< ow proa which Nature builds; each ring in the bole is a record of th< age: taken to fashion this exquisite piece of Natun s hand worl '-■. on< ooks ■ own the long aisles and vistas of trees he is reminded of th< tat« co in a great cathedral. Is it any wonder tha.t the Druids, held their r< gic cer< monies in Nature's temples and thai they deified the oak as the < strength, while the clinging mistletoe typified the dependence of man. If one looks down, it is to find a carpet of many-hued wild flowers an< tno ■ which hides the processes of change that are going on; the leaf of last is turning into the mold that helps build the foresi and serve; " / -voir to store surplus rain, thus preventing devastating floods. 'J J- the openings in the foliage the sunlight streams dov fori upon the ground mosaics of light and shadow, more beautiful in color and design than any ever fashioned by the hand of man. Longfellow says, " - with folded hands, seems kneeling there in prayer.' 7 It is while in this hallowed place we hear avoicein the tree-tops and, looking upward ee 1 his beautiful dress of scarlet and black, a true wood bird, a fiti ng o< • of such a home. The Tanager is a member of a large family of distin< an bin Dr. Sclater, the eminent British ornithologist, gives no Jess than 375 spe< ■ which are arranged in 59 genera/" Mr B dgw: atest am rnosi ■-
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