Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1914-06-26

Some of the most interesting studie
in which we may engage during ou
vacation wanderings will be thought
ful scrutiny of some of Mother Ma
ture's mimics and impostors. Mothe
Nature has been very kind to all he
children. Many of them have beer
armed with formidable weapons
others have been given feetness o1
foot and keenness of sense, and som'
possess that bold aggressiveness borr
of the power of venom. But Mother
Nature has some weak and defencelesS
children. and to these she has giver
the power and the protection OF MIN
icry, that they may escape their enc
mics. Wander away for an hour OF
two through the green fields and into
the woods, but keep your eyes and
ears open, and you may be able to
discover some interesting illustrations
of Nature IS cunning. Follow the cow
path along the shady lane. The
Golden sunlight floods the fields with
a mellow radiance and brightens all
the tree-tops. The leaves are be-
spaneled with jewels and the grasses
bend like necklaces of cleaning gems.
The air is cool and delicious with
the rich fragrance of spice bushes and
sweet-briar which fill the fence cor
ners, and dewy honeysuckles and smll-
ing morning glories trail over the old
rail fence. How exhilarating is a
morning in the shady lane!
But YOU are attracted by TUT OF
aromatic purple-blossomed bergamot
that grows beside a vlne-covered
stump. You stop and bend over 1t,
and are startled by the noisy buzzing
of several large hornets which arise
suddenly in your face and whirl rap
idly around you. They were resting
on the green leaves and deep dyed
flowers. slipping nectar. If you stand
still a moment they will alight again
on the fragrant plant. The big black
fellows with yellow stripes will not
harm You; they are not true wasps or
hornets; they are only harmless flies
the syrphus fly. They have been
adorned with the raiment of their
more dangerous cousins. the hornets,
and have some of their aggressive
ways; but it is all for their protec-
ton against their enemies. They are
onlv mimic stingers, but they are
great buffers. So all are not bees
that buzz. There are mimic bees and
there are also mimic Christians. 1t
suggests to us the words Of Jesus:
"Not every one that saith unto me,
Lord Lord shall enter into the king
dom of heaven, but he that doeth the
will of my father which is in heaven. .,
A wild plum tree marks a resttul
spot in the shady lane. Who would
not linger moment in search of the
luscious yellow fruit? And, as you
look among the leaves. you observe
a long brown and reddish caterpillar
of the geometer moth measuring its
length along a branch. 1t is alarmed
by your movements and is instantly
lost to sight. Sharp eyes alone may
locate it: and when at last it meets
your eye, how it has changed! If
YOU find it at all, it will be standing
out obliquely from the branch like
a small, living twig which will one
day bear leaves and fruit So there
are mimic twigs on the vine of the
Kingdom, which promise fruit but are
only parasites and impostors, Jesus
said: "Every branch in me that
beareth not fruit, he taketh it away ~
zling, sunlit spot. As you step little
rivuet which winds across the shady
lane call you onward, and as you step
across, up and around you darts but
terhy in zigzag flight. 1t arose from
a muddy spot near the waters edge.
It alights on the grey bark of a fern
draped log, where it opens and shuts
its brown and purple wings in daz-
zling, sunlit spot. As you sep little
nearer, it fits away and rests with
closed wings among the brown and
withered leaves. 1t is the skipper
butterfly. But it is utterly invisible
and You recall the words of the
Psalmist: "In the time of trouble
lie shall hi ln me in His pavilion; n
the secret of His tabernacle shall He
hide me. - Look as closely as you will
at the place where it vanished, you
do not see it again until one of the
dry leaves suddenly rises on gorge
Gus wings and flies away.
Gauzy-winged dragon flies, some
with blue bodies and borne along on
black and white barred wings, wheel
around the little brook, and heavy
laden bees soar away from the mud
DIV pool on their homeward flight.
Then YOU wander on and part the
leafy branches that overhang your
path. when away leaps a little green
tree frog. frightened from its quiet
resting place on a broad green leaf.
If your fingers are nimble, You may
he able to pick up the little fellow. as
he hops into the tangled grass, but
YOU must be quick about it. Now
place the green coated little brother
and is he not a brother?-on the grey
tree trunk. In little while his gar
ments of green have turned to grey.
Well. after all. some people seem to
wear the mimic colors of the butter
4 r