Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-23
HOW AN INDIANA WOMAN
BECAME AN ORNITHOLOGIST
Mrs Stratton-Porter Loved Birds as a Child, and
When She Was Old Enough Endured All Sorts
Of Hardships to Learn Their Ways

| with window in It for light and ventla.
tion. She found n woodthrush nest built
OF raspberry and nettle roots woven to.
gether while they we're still wet. The
thrush usually selects straw and grass
and wisps of corn husk The birds who
built this nest had a wide range Of choice
and they selected the roots instead of
the materials that the instinct school of
naturalists say they must have chosen
because their ancestors for generations
had used IT, We get the impression from
this book that birds are individuals, vary.
Ing In taste and temperament almost as
much as men and women. Such natural
history writing is worth while, because
1t Is based on accurate knowledge. Mrs.
Stratton'Porter has proved by her own
observation Of birds that many of the
statements in the ornithologies are mac
curate for the simple reason that the men
who have written them had not the pa.
uence to find out the truth. She has had
Infinite patience. Otherwise she could
not have set up her camera close to the
nests Of the widest birds and photo.
graphed them. When she has sought to
make picture Of the young she has
lifted them from the nest and perched
them on twig, but so gently and care.
fully has she worked that il has taken
her half an hour TO get the fedglings
from the nest and another half hour to
put them back again without frightening
them or alarming the old birds. Indeed
In many an instance the old birds have
sat on the tree watching her handle their
young without showing any fear that
harm would come TO them. Would you
have patience to do that, Dorothy?"
Il am afraid not unless 1 was more
deeply interested than 1 am now" she
answered
But II isn't always hard TO get near
the birds" said Gertrude Don't you
remember how near we got to a quail at
the Pines in the Poconos last summer?
We heard him whistllng, and then we
walked quietly around n clump of bushes
until we were as near TO him as across
the piazza"
Yes, that is so. But wish Mrs.
Mrs. Stratton-Porter had not written so
much about the difficulties she over
came. 1t makes one think that she
wants to create the impression that no
one else has been able to do what she
has done"
Il know you feel that way" said The
Lady, but it does not impress me like
that Her descriptions Of wading in
swamps and lying on a bluff In the hot
sun and falling from the stepladder on
which She put her camera make her story
more interesting"
We'll, we are agreed that is a mighty
entertaining book No one who wants
to know the truth about a lot of Ameri.
can birds, from the vulture to the wrens,
should leave 1t unread, for 1t contains
information that can be obtained no.
where else. 1 sometimes wonder whether
Mrs. Stratton-Porter will be known in
twenty-five years as naturalist or as a
novelist. Her novels have had a wide
sale, but I am inclined to think that they
will be forgotten when her books on birds
and moths will be remembered. Fashions
in fiction change, but the oriole and yuI.
ture of the next century will be like the
Vulture and oriole she studied along the
'"'Si' AZ NeiI al LHuldna IN thlS cen
tury."
Il think I will take up the study of
BIRDS said Dorothy, who had been rest
less since Cabot Ames, whom she first
treated with gracious and winning WON.
anliness, had disappointed her by his un.
patriotic attitude toward the call to serve
his country.
Ames passed the house just then, but
she pretended not to see him. In a few
moments she left, and, as we watched her
go down the street, we saw Ames waiting
for her on the corner.
GEORGE w. DOUGLAS.
FRIENDS IN FEATHERS: Character studies Of
nauye American birds which, through friend
ly advances, induced TO pose for me or sTc
ceded In photographing by Good fortune, with
the story Of my experiences in Obtaining tbejr
pictures. BY Gene Stratton- Porter Garden