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Show mobile and the crowds of pleasure seekers seek-ers which it earriets into the country, such plants as the dogwood, the holly, the ground pine and the wlnterpreen. which are esteemed as decorations, are disappearing from the vicinity of Washington Wash-ington and other large cities. This is almost wholly due to the thoughtless vandalism. People do not seem to realize that the plants growing in a bit of woodland wood-land are as much the property of the owner as his apple trees or Ids corn crop, and may be equallv valuable to hi in. They seem to think that if the plant is a wild one, they have a right to destroy it, and they proceed to do so. They are seldom content with picking a few light sprays, which would not seriously injure the plant, but commonlv tear it to pieces. After a few attacks, the plant dies. That is why you so eeldom see a holly tree in the woods anywhere' near a city, and why the dogwood is becoming more and more rare. Even the hardy and abundant laurel is becoming scarce in some sections, sec-tions, because it is an evergreen and is valued for decorative purposes In the fall and winter. Old timers say that the appearance ap-pearance of the woods has been radically altered by these depredations. The wild flowers have suffered even more than the large woody plants. The trailing arbutus, which was once a common com-mon wild flower in the vicinity of Washington, Wash-ington, has been almost exterminated by the thoughtless woods roamers, who are seldom content to pick the blossoms, but usually tear up the plant by the roots. Often it wilts before they reach home, and is thrown down by the roadside. The wild phlox, which used to festoon the woods in great beds, has also nearly disappeared. dis-appeared. Ferns have also suffered heavily. The gathering of ferns, and also of evergreens, ever-greens, is often followed on a commercial commer-cial scale, and local florists are much to blame, but the ever-increasing tribe of the .autoist is most to blame. It Is usually usual-ly he, too, wiio sets the leaves on lire, either by a carelessly dropped cigarette or in building a qampflre. The result of these ground fires is to destroy the nourishing humus of the forest soil, the seedlings of trees and bowers, and the eggs of ground-nesting birds. In order to protect a bit of the countryside coun-tryside from these violations, the Washington Wash-ington biologists have founded their club of fifty acres. They believe however, that the damage which is being done to American woodlands could be checked if people understood the serious effect of their depredations. This story is a plea to the outers who will go into" the woods this spring not to destroy wantonly everything that is beautiful enough to catch their attention, but to leave something some-thing for others to see and enjoy. I A UNIQUE COUNTRY CLUB : r By Frederich; J. Haskin. 4 ; WASHINGTON, April 22. There is a club in the country near Washington which numbers among its habitues, representatives rep-resentatives of nearly fill the tribes of wild animals and birds found in this part of the country. Rabbits, grouse and foxes, raccoons and opossums all enjoy a sort of associate membership that is, they are welcome to the premises, and are not disturbed. This club was founded by a number of Washington biologists some years ago, and is located on the upper Potomac. Its property consists of fifty acres of wild land, including an island in the river, , and a log cabin which the members use as a headquarters when pursuing their investigations. The place is carefully protected from trespassers by friendly neighbors, when none of the members is present. The purpose of the scientists in founding found-ing this club was to make a study of everv form of life which occurs upon a typical tract of land in this part of the country. Among the members of the Aub are specialists in almost all branches of biology. They have already investigated investi-gated everything from the minute algae of the river water to the large quadrupeds quadru-peds which occasionally visit the premises. prem-ises. To the layman, fifty acres seems altogether alto-gether too small an area for such a study; but the scientists selected the site for their club with care. It includes slopes with exposures to the east, west, north and south, sandy soil and clay, dry knolls, a bit of swamp, heavy forest and cultivated land. Thus It offers to visiting and resident wild things every sort of food and shelter which the region affords, and, in addition, it gives them protection from gunners. As a result, two covies of quail have made it their permanent residence, as have many rabbits rab-bits and squirrels, while ruffled grouse visit the place every fall. One of them was once found sitting on the porch of the clubhouse. And this place is only a few miles from a great city, and one mile from a noisy amusement park. The biologists are here able to make studies of the habits of wild birds and animals extending over several years. Eor example. Dr. A. K. Fisher of the biological biologi-cal survey has been trying for some time to solve a problem in the breeding habits of the bob-white partridge. Each summer sum-mer two broods of partridges are raised at the club, and in the autumn there are sometimes nearly thirty birds on the tract. Some of these stray off and are killed by gunners, and some die of cold in the winter, but generally about half of them survive until spring. At that time, however, all disappear except two pair, which again rear their broods. Although Al-though hundreds of the birds have been produced and protected on the place in the past few years, never more than four nest there. The birds seem to understand under-stand that there are only housekeeping accommodations for two families, and ! that ali the rest must emigrate when the mating season arrives. How they decide which shall go and which remain ia a mystery. Where the migrants go is also a mystery, for the scientists are familiar with the surrounding country, know every covey of birds in the vicinity, and have never been able to detect any addition addi-tion to them. pr. Fisher now plans to catch the birds in traps, put bands upon their legs, such as are used by pigeon fanciers, and release them again. Anyone Any-one who kills a banded quail will be asked, through notices In the newspapers, to notify the biological survey. In this way the scientist hopes to shed light on a mystery' in the life of bob-white. The biologists Lave set aside this tract of land for their Investigation?, not only because wild animals and birds are becoming be-coming rare, but because the wild flowers and other plants . having on ornamental value are being no less rapidly extcr-minated extcr-minated With the r-nmfnir nf the auto- |