Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1916-05-05

The naturalists at the normal jour
neyed out last Saturday into the
open, by field and stream, in the clos
ing field expedition of the term m-
der the direction of Mr.. M. NJ. Wick
ham, assisted by Prof Floyd Hagood.
The expedition was divided in to
three companies: botany, zoology
and physiography. Mr. wickham
conducted the classes in botany and
zoology, while Mr.. Hagood directed
the physiographists.
Assembling at $3.50 in the biologi-
cal laboratories, diary notes we're
opened on the object of the division
expeditions, and field equipment de-
tailed to the classmen respectively.
Then setting out from the campus
the class worked slowly northeast
ward toward the head of Shukwa,
making an intensive study as they
journeyed along open sandy path, or
messy forest floor, or rugged lichen-
clad boulders that abviated the path,
huge and worn with the frosts and
rains of centuries on their brow.
To the biologists possibly no bet
ter Kaleidoscope succession of ecolo-
gical situations could any where be
presented than greeted their eyes
in Saturdays rambles through the
field and beside the stream.
At the very outset from the cam
pus, as the students took the sandy
path that leads into the charming
woodlands of ShulSwa the little tiger
beetles rose in successive order ad.
vancing on wing only to light again
face about several feet ahead as If to
make obeisance to the advancing col
umn, and to welcome the visitors in
to Natures fairyland
Every where the spring flowers
we're blooming, in the open or nestled
| in the shade of bowers. and the
MOSES clung to the foot of the trees
where Marchantia raised its tiny re-
ceptacle-parasols against the morning
dews, and lichens cold and grey hug
ged the trunks of the trees like flat
tened bullets shot by Druid spirits
in aimless target with the breeze.
Now over stones they leaped, and
paused on knees to search out the
nesting ferns, or silken mosses, or
stood beside the stream. upon the
shingle bar to drink the beauties for
eye out the rippled waters where
long green tresses of the water mer-
maids floated from submerged stone
or fallen limb; mermaids, the botan-
lists called Spirokyra, Vaucheria, Clad
ophora and Oedegonium.
Old barren and decaying stumps of
trees often centered attention while
with pick matches the decadent
stump was literally torn to pieces
and dug from the ground where in
its deep cholocate humus mold a
score of varied insects lived their
cycle with no other thought than to
roam through it's musty humid mold.
las fast as specimens were brought
to light the surrounding students
were brought to light the surround
ing students were given opportunity
to classify the forms exposed, and
these were then bottled in apartment
boxes to be carried to the laboratory
for subsequent study.
Everywhere the botanists found the
mushrooms lifting themselves from
the forest loan as if to shelter some
little spot or woodland nymph from
April showers. Fretted with gills,
too, they sighed, as if born to breathe
the woodland fragrance but for ephe
neral span. Far up on the wasting
trunks, shattered and old, where en-
twining vines ascended to the sur
and air, lianas upon the dead, they
could see the bracket fungi like elfir