Milford chronicle., 1915-07-30
Continued from last week.)

Continued from last week.
The requirement Judge distance, size
number. height, and weight, within rs
Der cent. This is again test requiring
fhe skill resulting from experience and
practice. In the lessons on map making
we discussed the question of estimating
distance. and told how to learn distances
bv striding. Practice in map making
will give facility in Judging distance.
Remember that distances are apt to be
underestimated when looking over water
or level ground and also when the gaze
is directed either upward or downward,
A clear atmosphere produces the same
effect Distances are apt to be over-es'
titnated over uneven country, or when
the object is in the shade, or when the
atmosphere is not clear, either from mist
or &c a result of the heat rising from the
ground in summer. The same result is
noted at twilight Usually the mouth
and ewes of a man can be made out at
fiftv wards while at 100 yards, the eyes
seem to be but points. Buttons can be
seen at 200 wards, and a mans face at
400 The movement of the legs in walk
inc or running can be seen at 400 yards,
and the color of clothing at 500 Plenty
Of careful practice is needed to acquire
auv readiness in estimating weights and
number. Practice as you walk along the
streets. or in the country at estimating
both distances and the number OF objects
in groups that you encounter.
The tenth requirement is in natural
history as follows Describe fully from
observation ten species of trees or plants,
including poison ivy, by their bark leaves,
fruit. flowers, or scent; or SIX species OF
wild birds by their plumage, notes, tracks |
or habits; find the North star and name !
and describe at least three consultations
of stars.
Note this calls for a description from /
observation, not merely from reading !
description. Chapter OF the Scout Man |
nal piyes very good natural history de- |
scri6tions which will be of great assist !
ance to YOU in recognizing trees and |
nlants when YOU 90 out to study them. !
Wilmington Scouts have particularly good
facilities for the study of both trees and
animals. In Cool Spring Park, there IS
A remarkable collection of trees of many
different species, all properly labelled
so that YOU can study them carefully and
accurately, and soon gain valuable
knowledge of their characteristics. This
is a much better way to learn than mere
reading of descriptions and will make
much more lasting impression on your
memory. The collection of animals IN
the Geological Garden should be OF great
value to the Scout. Reference works on
the subject may also be consulted at the
Wilmington Free Library Poison ivy is
A plant every scout should be able to
recognize at once.
Most Scouts know how to locate the
North Star. Find the Great Dipper IN
the heavens. The two stars forming the
outer edge of the bowl of the dipper are
known as the Pointers. If you follow
out the line they make, you will find the
North Star of Polaris, about five times as
far from the Pointers as is the distance
between these two stars themselves. The
North Star is at the tip end of the han
die of the Little Dipper.
The handle of the Little Dipper curves
in the opposite direction from the handle
of the Great Dipper. The Little Dipper
is made up of faint stars, but the North
Star itself and the two stars in the end of
the bowl are much brighter than the
others. The two latter are known as the
of the Pole. The Great Dip
per is really not a constellation in itself,
but is the rear half of the constellation
Of Ursa Major, or Great Bear. The han
/
bear. The Little Dipper is properly
known as Ursa Minor, or Little Bear
Of course you must not expect to be able
10 see any resemblance whatever to bear
n either of these consultations. The
of the consultations to the
lnimals and NEUROLOGICAL personages they
ire named after is entirely imaginary. In
he majority of cases there is not the
.lightest resemblance in outline whatever. c
On the opposite of the North Star from OF
he Great Dipper is the constellation
,assiopeia, commonly known as the Lady =,
n the Chair. It is about as far from the =,
North Star as is the Great Dipper on the II
ther side, and is in the shape of lop- a.
ided w with one leg of the w consider t.
bly, longer than the other. The top of r.
he w points towards the North Star -,
nd is therefore valuable in locating it =
7hen the Pointers are obscured. One Il,
aluable point about a knowledge of Ursa = =.
1ajor. Ursa Major and Cassiopeia, to give =;
lem their proper names, is that they n,
re visible at all seasons of the year, g,
ever going below the horizon. Other -,
nearer the equator, are be- 90
W. the horizon at certain seasons, for
zample, Orion, with which most of you tol
e familiar is a very brilliant figure in tic
le winter sky, but is absent in the sum- Sc
er. Follow line where the handle of thS
e Great Dipper joins the bowl through WI
e star at the end of the handle for liv
,out three times this length, and you Sc,
III locate a constellation consisting of sat
circle of faint stars with one bright one. Sec
is is Corona Borealis or the Northern dai