The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-06-16
A Good Model.

I have lately been visiting gentie-
man whom | should like to tell about.
He lives on the banks of the Delaware
River, not far from Trenton NE"
Jersey. .. 40
1t is very delightful to talk with this
gentleman, and to see how well ne Is
acquainted with the birds and the tour.
footed animals of his district, all OF
which are under his jealous protectlon;;
He has half dozen little tracts
within a mile of his house, each OF
which is tenanted by a partly dii1erent
class of plants and animals, so tnat
there is never any lack of variety IN MS
studies. The truth of this VIII NOT
seem clear to you at first, perhaps, Pc
cause you are accustomed to think tnat'
in order to find any great diversity IN
outdoor life, you must search through
great spaces of country. But my
friends farm would show you that a
great many little differences are Or
dinarily overlooked, which, when you
come to know them, are seen to be real
and important. And this can be proven
in one place about as well as in an
other.
For instance, it is easy to divide the
estate | am speaking of into four dls-
tricts, so far as natural history is con-
cerned. First, there are the upland
fields and house-gardens; second, the
steep hillside, grown dense with trees
and tangled shrubbery; next, the broad
treeless, lowland meadows; and lastly,
the creek; with its still, shaded waters
marshy hooks, and flowery banks.
Now, while there are many trees,
bushes and weeds that are common to
all these four districts, it is also true
that each of the districts has number
of plants and animals that are not to
be found in the others. You would not
expect to get water-snakes, muskrats,
or any wading birds on the high fields
behind the house, nor do the wood
chucks, quails and vesper-sparrows Of
the hilltop go down among the syca-
mores by the creek. One quickly gets
hint here of the great fact that any
species of animal or plant may be
spread over whole State, or half the
continent, yet, nevertheless, be found
only on that kind of ground which is
best suited to it. One of the first things
naturalist has to learn, therefore, in
respect to an animal whose habits he
wishes to study, is what sort of sur
roundings it loves, and he will be sur
prised, particularly in the case of the
smaller creatures, to learn how careful
animals are in this matter, since upon
it, as a rule, depends their food and
safety. There are certain snails, for
example, which my friend finds in one
corner of his farm and never anywhere
else. A pair of Bewick's wrens have
lived in his wagon-house for some
years, but they are the only pair in the
whole county. 1t would be no use for
him to look anywhere than on his bush
grown hillside for the worm-eating
warbler, the morning. warbler, or the
chat, though his gardens up above en-
tice other birds. Similarly, if the bird
called the rail decides to make its home
on his land, it will not settle along the
creek, but in marshy part of his
meadows. l might mention large
humber of these examples, but these
will suffice.
For more than twenty years my friend
has been diligently studying this single
square mile around his house. One
would think he knew it pretty well by
this time, and he does-better, i no
lieve, than any other square mile i.
known in the United States. He car
tell you, and has written down, hun
dred things about our common animal.
which are real news; yet he thinks tha
he has only begun, and is finding ou
something more every few days
Ernest InqerSOW. IN 81. Nicholas.