1925

FolumeIV September i, ig25 Number i5

A,PERSONAL ' INVITATION. YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK I8 YOURS! WE OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE WANT TO HELP YOU TOI MAKE FRIENDS WITH YOUR PARK AND TO UNDERSTAND IT IN ITS EVERY MOOD. ALL OF THE FOLLOW,

LNG SERVICE IS_QFFERED TO YOU free BY YOUR GOVERNMENT: Visit the Yosemite Museum! Here you will learn the full story of the Park ---- what tools were used. by the great Sculptor in carving-this mighty granite-walled gorge; whoalived here,before the white man came; how the Days of Gold led to Yosemite's discovery; how the pioneers prepares the way for you; and how the birds and, :nriammals and trees and flowers five together in congenial communities w&tirig to make'yQur. acquaintance :. Plan your trail trips on the large scale models in the Geography Room. The Yosemite--Library in the muse.im provides references, on all phases of Yosemite history and natural history. Popplar!,leetures,on Yosemite geology and other branches of natural historycar-.given b`y nature guides at scheduled times each day: The'nature guide on duty will be More than willing to answer your ques tlot•s on any, subj ect_

Go Afield with a. Nature Guide ! Tile advantage of this free service that will help you to know your Park. A'r impete t scientist will conduct you over Yosemite trails, and from him you may, earn first hand of the native flowers, trees, birds, mammals, and geological 'features. See Schedule of Nature Guide Fi ld Trips.. Visit Glacier 'oint Lookout! Fromthere you will "obtain an tine ' celled-view of Yosemite 's High Sierra. The binocular telescope will bring ft. Lyell to within one third of a mile from-where you stand; you can r gnize friends climbing trails several miles away. The NatureGuide in att ndance will help you to operate it and will explain what you see. A small library is at'.your command. You will enjoy.the informal nightly campfire talks given here. Attend. the Nature Guide Campfire Talks!. In addition to the museum lectures members of the educational staff give. talks,as a:part,, of the evening program at Camp Curry and Yosemite: odge. Non technical explanations of how Yosemite came to be, what yea, may erpectof Yosemite bears; low the local Indians lived, what-birds. you see about your : camps; what-trout you will catch in Yosemite waters; how.you may best visit the wondei and of the summit region;.and 'scores 'of similar subjects are given by the National Park'Service.:Nature Guides.

ALL OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES ARE.PROVIDED FREE : OF. CHARGE BY YOUR GOVERNMENT. —TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM—

FumeIV SeptemberI,i925 Number 15

INHABITANTS OF A FALLEN YELLOW PINE

By R. D. Harwood Many interesting forms of life play inconspicuous but none the less portant roles in great life cycles. This was well illustrated by examina fallen yellow pine tree on a recent trip to Little Yosemite. This has been dead for many years as indicated by the advanced state.of The first insect to be encountered hen the loose bark of the stump always avoid. These soft-bodied its removed was a large click blind workers were the most abund- •tle. There were a half dozen of ant but there were several soldiers •00 Of the same species of Elater, with their massive thoraxes and Darn as the eyed clock beetle. Jaws in outline like the adult sohIlly are dark gray with two large tiler. Somewhere in the depth of Ok spots resembling eyes on the the catacomb ruled the dependent -throx. When placed on their queen, a mere egg-laying machine. ki these beetles, by a vigorous A colony of the black wood ants •ment at the joint between the was found doing a piece of work •thorax and mesa thorax, jump similar to that of the termites. The the air to a height of three presence of the dried and bleached ii, at the same time righting remains of a number. of lady-bird •tneelves. The click made at this l,eetles, Hippodainia convergens, nn ovement

was distinctly audible. der loose bark would indicate that smaller light brown click beetle they were the few of a large colfound nearby. ony which did not survive the hiberVhe removal of another section of nation period. bark showed the activity of the Two blue scorpions and three cenfRO mountain termites, Termopsis tipedes were found in the same old •vsdensis. These termites, incoryellow pine. Since they live on Otly called white ants, by their small insects there were probably nneling greatly facilitate the deother inhabitants which were not Mposition of the wood. The sawseen. Ust so formed is fine and similar These insects and weather are that from the true wood ants. are working continuously to return Mites are blind but their skin the trees to the soil.—R. R. Har e Sensitive to the light, which they wood. 8i

Copyright Photo by J. T. Boysen.

2n"aS WEWCME Tee Copyright Photo by J. T. Boysen Driver—Sam Owens; center—Galen Clark, discoverer of Mariposa ve and for many years guardian of Yosemite Valley; right--J. J. k, proprietor of Stoneman House in Yosemite Valley. J. T. Boysen, pioneer photographer of Yosemite, made this picture the request of Washburn Brothers, builders of the Wawona road. r many years an enormous enlargement of the photograph hung the old Sentinel Hotel, Yosemite Valley. Mrs. E. A. Ovlatt of Santa rbara admired the masterpiece on many Yosemite visits, and in 24 she declared it should have a place in the new Yosemite museum.. Boysen was consulted and he very gladly presented the old favorite. ordinary suspension from the wall would do. Indeed, this genous lady built a great fireplace in the museum library, and in & ohe, planned expressly for it, "The Wawona Tree" will remind semite tourists for all time to come of the romantic days of the -horse coach.

THE WAWONA TREE TUNNEL.

By C. P. Russell Park Naturalist, Yosemite National Park,arty-clay records of happenings cantle to a stop. Alighting, we Yosemite valley and the Mariposa noticed a number of workmen eneve were not always kept with gaged in cutting the passageway e same exactness as now prevail,. through the tree, one side of equently the question has come, which was well along to the finhen was the famous tunnel ish, but the other side was quite rough the Wawona tree made? " rough. The foreman of the crew arch as we might, no direct refsaid to the stage driver : "Take puce to this historic event could your stage through and let 's see found Mr. Ellsworth in writing if you can make it." I said, "Wait s boos, "The Giant Sequoia, " dea minute. I 'll go through with rmined that in all probability the you." It was Just possible to go nnel was cut when Washburn through as the one side I referred Ullt the road through the Mariposa to was not yet cut cut to dimenrove, in "the early seventies." sions contemplated. I remember Now comes word from the tourist we stopped in the center of the ho made toe first drive through cut and I stood up and touched e tree, and the year and month is the roof of the opening. Arriving last recorded. Frank Strausser on the other side. I stepped down San Diego, Calif., in writing to and the foreman and each of the thief Naturalist Hall, informs us workmen engaged in the work at he was a member of a party of surprised me by shaking hands ~rurteen Knights Templar from with me and congratulating me. hiladelphia who, in 1581, visited saying I had the dist ' nction of !osemite. Thousands of early-day being the first one to drive hitters who came in horse-drawn through. I little dreamt at the ages, and other thousands of motime that this was anything rerists will be glad to read the part markable, and that this giant Mr. Strausser 's letter which Is tree called "Wawona" would here quoted• come famous. But it has come to We took the stage at Merced pass, and, as you remarked durnd entered the Yosemite valley ing our conversation, "Why not arty in August, 1881. Approachclaim the distinction? " and so ng Wawona, our coach of six I do.

YOSEMITE NATURE NOTBS AFIELD WITH THE NATURE GUIDES NESTING ROUGH-WINGED PYGMY OWL EATS CHIPMUNK SWALLOWS.

A party with a nature guide in Both rough-winged swallows were Lost Valley above Little Yosemite busy this morning feeding Young. One or the other of the two birds Valley came upon a pygmy ow] durentered the nest every three or four ing his meal hour. The pygmy owl minutes. This morning the parent hunts by day and so h it was not rebirds were collecting food over a stretch of river not far from the "hid "toe to find him hungry in nest. the whole range would not mid-afternoon, but his fare was e cover more than 200 yards. Usually little extraordinary. This owl wee they skimmed the river within a varying the customary fare of mice few inches of the surface, but occasionally they dived ten or twenty (and reptiles with a full-grown Tafeet in the air. When the birds aphoe chipmunk. The victim was half proach the nest with food they do eaten e aen we approached, but the not dive directly in, but make a C.I. our dropped the remainder and, dozen or more narrow circles ^nd giving us a resentful survey, flew several false dives to the nest. When away to a more secluded place.-at last they do decide to enter the David D. Keck.

nest the approach is made from below in a perfect bound which tekes them into the hole without touchAUGUST IS FLOWERY Mg the bank. The nest hole is ten

IN YOSEMITE VALLEY

feet above the Surface of the river The majority of people visiting in a clayey, sandy bank. In leaving the :Yosemite valley take their ourthe nest the birds seem to glide out rags in an automobile driving 'rung at a decided drop which takes them ti'yc dusty roads. 'LMe touris,-m within a few inches of the water. may notice e few Hon-ere bloolnin The excrement from the nest is tilting the dusty ways, but unles s dropped in the river directly in they are fortunate enough to take front of the nest hole and not cara walk or to yield to the perried far away, as is often the case suasiun.a cif a nuttrre aide and inwith other kinds of birds. The curdulee in a "flower wank" flay will rent quickly carries away the waste. net know that many spring flowers On one occasion it was noted that mill bloom in the valley. Thes,• the waste from the nest wits dronfortunate ones calm have the courped too soon. It struck the bank, age to lerive their machine and try however, and roiled into the river. their feet may find luxuriant flowOnce a bird, leaving the nest, ere in full bloom. Tile Sentinel swooped low and broke the surface Meadow, till] gweet. and airy in its of the water with his bill : presumgarb of seeding grasses, has many ably a process of cleaning the bill. II'VIly "posies" There is the towerOther birds have different methods: log white top of Yarrow (Aclullae,r the white-headed woodpecker taps nriliefoliem) and the delicate fluff his bill to clean it, the black-headed of queen Ann's Lace ((;arum lenrgrnsbeaak shakes his head.—Enid moot). bt. Johnswort (Hypericuni Michael. turmosum) and Goldenrod (Solidage elonkata) are generous with their timid. Where the grass is low JULY PROVE A RECORDCenclal :;,gua (L'rythraea venustai

WREAKING MONTH

spreads a bright garment of pink. Never before have so many YoA few bid, violets bloom down semite visitors taken advantage of in the grass. the educational service in the park. On the moist banks blossoming `With ten naturalists present to aid mints create glorious gardens. in familiarizing nature lovers with Girurt I-Iyssop (Agastache urtrcithe wonders preserved for them a fella) and Pennyroyal (Mcnardella fairly satisfactory result has been edoratissimal are as loud of scent obtained in the attempt to meet as they are bright of flower. the growing spirit of wanting-toThe moist areas bordering the know. Four thousand two hundred forests are beloved by many kinds and twenty-eight individuals went of plants. Now White Collinsc,t afield with nature guides and (Collinsea tipftoria) and Farewelllearned through personal contact to-Spring (Godetia viminea) gladthat there is a wealth cif Yosemite e en these forest ways with masses attractions to he apprcelated heof delightful flowers. sides the mile-high cliffs. Lectures '[here are beds of Spanish Clover and museum activities reached a (Hoseckia americana) ditches filled total of forty-eight thousand four with golden Monkey flower (Minthundred and twenty-six. The totals ulus luteus), there is a tarweect for 1925 are going to eclipse all (M :r(ia) end gilia and many other previous records. This is due in charming flowering plants. Theta part to the fact that more visitors are not along the roads, however: this year came to Yosemite, and in the lovely flowers have fled the part to the fact that three addiroads where all day long, in ceasetional nature guides have been emIess prece' Sion, the autos roll in ployed. But we believe it also dust. an9 now they make sweet signifies a growing desire of the gardens only in secluded places public to "Know Your Park."—C. P. where flower lovers walk the trails. Russell. —Enid Michael.

YOSEMITE NATURAL HISTORY ASSOCIATION ITS PURPOSES

o gather and disseminate information on the wild-life of the Sierras. To develop and enlarge the Yosemite Museum (in co- ', tion with the National Park Service) and to establish sub -ry units, such as the Glacier Point lookout and branches of tar nature. To promote the educational work of the Yosemite Nature Guide Service. To publish (in cooperation with the U. S. National Park Service) "Yosemite Nature Notes". / o, study living conditions, pat and present, of the Indians of the Yosemite region. o maintain in Yosemite : Valley. a:library of historical, scientific, and popular interest. o further scientific investigation along lines of greatest popular interest and'to publish, from time to time, bulletins of non-technical nature. To strictly limit the activities of the association to purposes which shall be scientific and educational, in 'order that the organization shall not be operated for profit.

Y WE SEND YOU EACH ISSUE OF YOSEMITE NATURE NOTES?

•ur check for $2.0o sent to the Park Naturalist, Yosemite onal Park, will help to pay the cost of its publication for year and make you a member of the Yosemite Natural •ry Association for the same period.

THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON OUT-DOOR RECREATION

Called by PRESIDENT COOLIDGE

T THE CONFERENCE ENDORSE NATURE STUDY IN SCHOOLS THE EXTENSION OF THE NATURE STUDY IDEA TO EVERY ICAN SCHOOL AND FAMILY; THAT THE ESTABLISHOF MUSEUMS OF NATURAL HISTORY IN NATIONAL PARK; INCREASE THE EDUCATIONAL RECREATIONAL VALUE OF THE

".—Resolution of the Conference.