The Wilmington morning star., 1945-08-27
Amt Nature Grand?

It is the season for nature stories in the
papers, and a remarkably good season it is,
all things considered. In politically spectacu-
lar summer like this one, the flow of wonder
tales from the wildwood might be expected to
decline Yet such tales remain abundant, the
old perennials are among them as hardy as
ever, With new settings, few changes of de.
tall they serve again.
The ancient story of the fishermans null
ltiple haul recurs in several novel and attrac'
Tive forms. For instance, Daniel Boone Spell
vim. of Nutmeg Corners, Conn.,, fishing for
cells, feels tug on his line, pulls in and finds
on his hook a frog a one-pound pickerel, q
three pound bass and whale of a swapping
turtle. The frog had taken the angleworm, the
pickerel had swallowed the frog. the bass had
nabbed the pickerel the turtle had seized the
bass, and Mr.. Spelvin had caught them all al
one fell yank There is his picture in the local
paper to prove it.
Although thousands of nature lovers stayed
home from the woods this summer in order to
tend their victory gardens, their tales of wild.
animal intelligence show no appreci BILE fall
ing off. From New Jersey comes one about
a rabbit.
This rabbit, it seems, visited an Essex
Of lettuce carrots and other plants laboriousl-
cultivated and greatly needed by the lawful
owners. Traps and other preventive means
within the law having failed to liquidate the
trespasser, the gardener acquired dachshund
advertised as being terror to rabbits.
Next day after the dogs arrival the rab-
bit changed its tactics Instead of approaching
the vegetables directly. it made a series Of
tracks on the lawn that lay between the dog
house and the garden. From side to side of
the lawn it hoped tracing labyrinthine pat
tern OF spirals, loops, fgure-eights, reverse
curves, double bowknots and other intricacies
known to the rabbit mind Then it proceeded
to business as usual.
At this juncture the gardener released the
dachshund and egged it on with encoura cling
words Instantly the dog was off, nose to the
ground, hot on the rabbits trail. Many minutes
later he was still entanged in the invisible
maze which the rabbit had left on the lawn
All that while sat Brer Rabbit in plain sight,
thirty feet away, calmly consuming young
cabbages and quietly smiling. The Newark
Evening News vouched for that one.
This is the time OF year for stories about
the vivacious small-mouth black bass, their
sportiveness, their resourcefulness and their
unpredictable personal habits.
xuIS year lie Is dI Ills INlSCnleI rs USUAL.
Though young anglers in great numbers are
still absent overseas and most of their elders
are town-bound, the bass continues to get into
the papers. For one recent example, when
hooked by a pair of Vermont canoeists, he
hurled himself out of the water and over the
canoe, eapsized the craft and made off with
an eight-dollar tapered line and forty dollar
split-bamboo rod, not to mention a multiplying
reel. From all parts of the land between Maine
-.
that.
Most such stories can be counted upon for
Esurprise endings Thus, the other day, school
man and 4 telephone engineer, both church
members, were casting minnoWs for bass from
a dory anchored above a ledge off the point
of an island facing Wolfeboro Bay in Lake
Winnepesaukee. After an extra-long cast the
engineer had terrific strike. Look out! He's
going to break!'' shouted the schoolman, drop.
ping his own rod and grasping the dipnet
The creature broke sure enough A white
collar loon weight twenty pounds at least, il
flew in savage circles round the boat uttering
hideous cries, until it snapped the line at
last and vanished in the direction of the White
Mountains.
Here in the toiling city it is good to know,
from letters from fortunate friends and from
Sudy ltelIlS III the paper, tnat the pass, the
rabbits, the looms and their companions of the
woods and the waters are carrying on as usual
out there in Vacationland, awaiting the return
of larger audience than they have had this
summer.
Just now the warnings are doubtless feed.
ing in flocks in the cedar trees, storing up for
their yearly trip south. The porcupines are
looking over spade handles and oar handles
with a view to consuming them next winter.
The merganser ducklings are almost full
grown as they cruise the shores of lake and
pond. The gray gulls are wandering inland
from the sea, looking for change of diet
and the nighthawks are winging across the
sunsets. They will be there, ready to inspire
nature stories, next summer. - New York
Times.