The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-04-28
OF THE WILDS.
President Roosevelt an Author.
ity on American Birds.
HE TALKS WITH A NATURALIST,

John B~urroughs Tells Of the Chief
Executives knowledge Of the en-
ants of Wood and Field-He Loves
the Song of the Missouri Lark.
John Burroughs. the presidents guest
on his western trip and whom Nature
has inspired to write Of her ways, told
In the trip to Evanston. Ill.,. of Mr..
Roosevelt's love of the fields and woods
and all that dwell therein. says the
Chicago Evening Post.
"The first sight of the prairies." said
Mr.. Burroughs. made the presidents
eyes brighten. l breakfasted with
him, and all our talk was of the wild
life Of the fields. Some n in the news.
papers said that l was to go with the
president to give him information
touching big game and it's preserva.
ton. He needs nc instructions in those
lines. | expect to learn of him. He Is
certainly capable to teach.
"He spoke of Sprague's lark, which
we hope to hear singing in the west
Yes, that is the Missouri skylark, many
people call it. The president spoke Of
its singing as it takes it's zenith flight
early in the morning. He knew the
bird and loved it when he was on the
ranch in the west twenty years ago.
1--WE had IL discussion on the song OF
the western meadow lark. He spoke
of the notes of the bird as forming a
complete song. l differed from him, for
my impression is that the song is not
rounded out to completion. We will
hear it together. l hope, and the lark
shall decide between us.
"Mr. Roosevelt's ear is attuned 10 all
the sounds of nature. He spoke of the
call OF the sandhill crane. which when
heard at Il distance has Il music of its
own. He has found something of beau
ty in the faroff call of the bull elk.
Near at hand the call is a below. moth
ing else. hut across Il valley. with the
sound softencd by the distance. there
Is something that is pleasing in the ut
terance of this dweller in the wilds..
We are going where it may be heard.
'Mr. Roosevelt notes every bird
which crosses the Sky or darts into the
shrubbery. He knows all the birds by
name, and he knows their characters.
tics. We don't agree on the hooking
bird. He rates it much higher as Il
singer than l do. We both heard and
studied the bird in Florida.
HE told ME of hearing the hermit
thrush in the west. The song appealed
to him as no other bird song ever did.
OF course the hermit is an eastern bird
also. No man can hear that song and
deny it's transcendent beauty.
"Mr. Roosevelt was kind enough to
read an article of mine in the Atlantic
recently. I had some things to say
about one OF two nature writer's that /
think do not make all their writings
spell truth. The president has pointed
out to me one or two places where he
said he thought l was skating on, thin
ice. The ice might break. he thought.
where l spoke of instinct as being the
prime thing in making animals fear
man. He tells me that when he went
west to the ranch life in the early
eighties the grizzlies were compare
lively tame. but that now they fear
man. He holds that they have been
taught to fear him and that if instinct
had all to do with it the bears would
have held their fear in the old days.
HE is right in part. and l am right
in part. l think l may say. A man
strokes a dog and then puts his hand.
with the odOr of the dog clinging to it,
near some kittens that never saw a
dog-kittens just born, in fact. In an
instant, the odor caught, their backs
are up, and they are splitting like will
cats facing an enemy.
1--WE are to go into the wilds 4. .ere to
study and to get that keen . Ajoyment
which comes from close Communion
with nature In oil her moods"