On the Trail: An Outdoor Book for Girls

ects, Reptile

se

wood roads, and rare wild flowers, is an interesting and attractive place. The salty air is fine when the thermometer is self-respecting and keeps the mercury below 90° in the shade, but the oak u

d-T

sometimes bury themselves, entire, in the flesh of animals and men and have to be cut out, and my horror of th

cheek, where the thing is clinging, and, feeling the lump, you pull it off and no great harm done. The tick is supposed always to bury its head in the flesh, and it is said that if the head is left in when the bug is pulled off an ugly sore will be the result. We had no experience of that kind, however, nor, in our h

they have several, all unknown to themselves, decorating their own count

. Redb

many more of him. He really does penetrate the skin, and his wanderings under the surface give one the feeling of an itching r

er

using the blood to flow, but the bite does not seem particularly poisonous, though you feel it at the time and it generally raises a lump on the flesh. The deer-fly

ck-

, but it is also the haunt of the maddening black-fly. From early spring until the middle of July or first of August th

ed-death of the horses, not of the fly. It is a small fly about one-sixth of an inch long, thick-bodied, and black. It is said to have broad silve

t night. When the black-fly bites you will know it, and it will leave its mark, when it does leave, which must generally be by your help, for it holds on

um. Pun

invisible. Night and day are the same to the no-see-um; its warfare is continuous and its bite very annoying, but it disappears with the black-fly in July or August. By September the m

athe the affected parts with camphor, alcohol, or diluted ammonia. When there are but one or two bites the

n

in flying into one's eyes in a very exasperating fashion. They swarm in a cloud in front of your face

the eyelashes of the upper eyelid between your thumb and first finger, and draw the upper eyelid down over the under e

s, and Yel

es and bee-trees as well as from the great gray, papery nests of the wasp; but the hornets or yellow-jackets have an u

or they found me, in a cherry-tree; and the second time we met was when I stepped in their nest hidden on the ground. Their sting is like a hot wire pressed into the flesh. When ang

lade. In any case mix some mud into a paste and plaster it on the parts that have been stung. If you are in camp and have with you

n devised as protection

at. You will find this described in Chapte

o

best are Nessmuk's Dope, Breck's Dope, and H. P. Wells's Bug-Juice. There is also a Rexall

muk'

roduces a glaze over the skin and that in preventing inse

tar

r oil

pennyro

her over a slow

nt for four pers

k's

tar

castor o

pennyro

nella

sote

(pulveri

of carbolat

ts; simmer over slow fire until well mixed. The t

d to be a counter-irritant after being

ells's

oil

sote

royal

hor

phor in alco

and behind ears, hands (on the backs), wrists, and

ud

ade by burning things that make little flame and much smoke. Dead leaves, not too dry, will make a fairly good smudge, but a better wa

ce with insects. The best way to encounter these, as all other annoyances, is to protect yourself as well as you can and then, without whimpering, make the best of the situation. All the pests described will no

ak

. With all the snakes in the United States, Doctor William T. Hornaday, director of the Zoological Park of Ne

region where poisonous snakes abound it is well to wear khaki leggins as a protection in case you inadvertently step too near and anger the creatures,

attle

-mocc

per

coral

quin

nd non-pois

lesn

e them warningly, and coil before they strike. The rattlesnake does not want to fight and if you keep at a safe distance it will glide off in another direction, but it is safest

da). Rattlesnakes are often found sunning themselves on large rocks, and stone-quarries are the chosen winter quarters where whole colonies assembl

Rattl

the only live one I ever saw in that locality was in a box at Rowland station. The men of our party occasionally killed one and brought it to camp a

is yellowish and it is marked with irregular, wide bands of dark brown. Some

d Ratt

is oftenest found in Florida. This is a very large snake, and closely allied to it is th

sas

amps from western New York to Nebraska, but it is rare. Its co

per

England and the Atlantic coast west to Indiana and south to Texas. This snake is seldom more than three feet long. Its color is light reddish-brown with bands of rich chestnut which are narrow on the back and wide at the sides. The unde

Snake and

bits as hardly to be classed as dangerous. Most of their time is spent hidden under the sand and in the ground, but when they do come out their colors are so brilliant as not to be mistaken. On the harlequin snake the colors are bright coral-red, yellow,

casin, Co

he color of greenish mud; the sides are paler and have wide, blackish bands. There are dark bands from the eyes to the mouth and above them there are pale streaks. The top of the head is very dark. The abdomen is yellow with splash

of the south know that its home is along the edges of bayous and in the swamps. It is frequently seen with its head and a small part of its body out of water while th

r Sn

nake found in this country which has lengthwise stripes, that is, stripes running from head to tail. Daniel C. Beard tells me that

d, when cornered, will sometimes show fight, is not venomous and his bite is not deep. It is, therefore, wanton cruelty to kill every snake that crosse

hem bear a peculiar mark, or rather a pair of marks, that no other animal possesses. This mark is the pit, whic

s made of its head, it can be ascertained immediately whether the s

zard, Gil

Gila monster (pronounced heela). Unless you visit the desert regions of Arizona and New

e colored salmon, flesh-pink, white or yellow, and black. Though it has the appearance of being stuffed with cotton, it is really formidable and very much alive. Its jaws are strong; when it bites it holds on like a bulldog, and there is no way t

t for Sn

ly, and if a physician is within reach he should be summoned as quickly as possible. Much depends, however, upon what is done fir

ly above the wound, that is, between the wound and the heart, to

d copiously. If there is no break in the skin or membrane of your mouth or l

to stimulate the heart and lungs and strengthen the nerves

omous serum, inject it as directed

tourniquet, to check circulation, as described in Chapter XII, on Accidents. Every little while l

y done, for with a perfectly sound and healthy mouth there is no da

nd do not be afraid. Fear is contagious and exceedingly harmful to the patient. Remember that a s

nous

son to the touch and those that are harmless unless taken i

ison to t

son

beautiful coloring. Noticing that she was a stranger, no doubt from the city, and realizing the danger she was running of poisoning herself or some one else, we hurriedly caught up with her and gave first aid to the ignorant in a few forceful remarks. The result was that, with

no teeth but are occasionally notched. Sometimes the plant is bushy, standing a foot or two high, again it is trailing or climbing. It loves fence corners and big rocks to clamber over;

ntry from Maine to Texas and west t

es. Many persons are poisoned by it, however, and it may be that fear makes the

son

g oval in outline with a few coarse, blunt teeth. They are also thicker and smaller than the ivy leaf. The poison-oak is plentiful

ach, or Sw

ompound, with from seven to thirteen leaflets growing from one stem, as the leaves of the walnut-tree grow; the stalks are often of a purplish color. The leaflets are oval in shape and are pointed at the tip. The surface is smooth and green on both sides and they have no teeth. The autumn coloring is very brilliant. The

ng-soda and water is better. Alcohol will sometimes be effective, also a strong lye made of wood-ashes. Salt and water

Lady's-

pper, the plant of which is said to have the same effect when handled as poison-ivy. This flower is an orchid. The stalk, from one to two feet high, bears a single blossom at the top, and th

re poisonous to the touch; the follow

ison to t

y Nig

us and plants that are not, but the thrilling name, dea

-foot board fence. Its leaves are rather triangular in shape, they are dark green and the wavy edges are notched rather than toothed. The flowers are white and grow in small clusters. The fruit is a berry,

cs, and stimulants. The poison should be thrown off the s

d, Pige

metimes mistaken for that of edible plants and the young leaves for those of the marsh-marigold, which are edible when cooked. It is a tall plant with a stout stem and emits a strong odor. You will find it growing by the wayside and in rocky places. The leaves are oblong and pointed at the tips and base. They have no teeth. The small white flowers are in clus

on-H

arsley and the roots for parsnips. The plant grows from two to seven feet high; its stem is smooth and spotted or streaked with purplish-red. It has large, parsley-like leaves and pretty clusters of small, white flowers which grow, stiff-stemmed, from a common centre and blossom in July and August. When the fresh

th of hands and feet, artificial respiration, and the subcu

r-He

. It is found in wet places and on the borders of sw

son

en plant. The stem is smooth, green, stout, and branching. The flower is large, sometimes four inches long, and trumpet-shaped. There are several varieties of this weed; on some the flower is white, on others the five, flaring, sharp-pointed lobes are stained with lavender and magenta. The calyx is long, close-fit

then hot, strong coffee should be given. Sometimes artificial respiration must b

ressed when on the trail. It is something like going through a drug store and samp

dst

the poison toadstool, leave them all alone. Many deaths occur yearly f