VOLUME 3 APRI L 1.s, 1944 NUM BE R 4 Log Rolling, a Iowa State Parks Provide Relaxation Pleasurable and • Profitable Pastime From Stress and Strain of War ~ffort By H. H. KNIGHT Dept. of Zoology and Entomology Iowa State College The fisherman in search of bait No Iowan Farther or the entomologist in search of insect specimens may often re­ Than 40 Miles from sort to rolling old logs for col­ lecting purposes. The writer has Recreational Spot been rolling logs periodically during the past 25 years, chiefly By G. l. ZIEMER in search of insects whtle con­ Chief lands and Waters Division ducting field trips with classes It 1s often said that a nation at in entomology. With this back­ war must see that its people-all ground as an mtroduction we will of its people-get healthful recre­ proceed with the subject m hand. ation, diversion, and relaxation to Within and beneath old logs promote individual health and na­ we find a varied assortment of tional morale. With each succeed­ animal life, in fact we find one ing day of war this fact becomes of the important ecological situ­ more evident. Regardless of ations in wooded areas. The age what phase of the current strug­ of a log and the species of tree it gle a person is engaged in, he is represents are chief factors de­ a more efficient worker for Un­ termining what may be in or cle Sam if periodically he is re­ under the log examined. Biolo­ leased from the high mental and gists have studied logs from the physical tension of war work. viewpoint of ecological succession It is generally agreed that one of the organisms which reduce of the most satisfying tonics for the freshly fallen log through de­ Iowans are fortunate in these times of travel difficulties to have state parks and both body and spirit is found un­ cay and disintegration until it ~er the sprin? sky's blue canopy becomes a part of the soil. recreational areas so located that every citizen in the state lives within 40 miles of at I east one of them. m the open, m close communion The recently fallen log does not with Mother Nature's birds and press evenly on the soil but gener­ flowers, her bright sunshine and ally leaves spaces here and there warm breezes. Here truly do where animals may crawl be­ LeRoy Titus Weeks' lines neath. After a few years lying Iowa's Frogs and Toads on the ground a log gradually be­ "The sweet, warm llps of early comas partially imbedded in the By REEVE M. BAILEY descriptive notes on the song, sprmg come full upon my own; soil and consequently fewer ani­ ' geographic occurrence, and pre­ mals find a home there. PART II ferred habitat in Iowa. The read­ They softly press and fondly When collecting insects we gen­ The first part of this article er in search of more detailed in­ cling like lips that I have erally look beneath the logs which was devoted to certain general formation, or who wishes to fa­ known. are very little imbedded in the features of the natural history of miliarize himself with frogs and Her garments touch me here and soil. However, the fisherman in Iowa's frogs and toads; their toads from other areas, is re­ there, by wanton breezes search of earthworms may find hibernation, reproductive behav­ ferred to a recent (1942) general stirred; the older logs more productive, ior, metamorphosis, seasonal ap­ handbook, "The Frogs and Toads My forehead feels her rippling especially when dryness of soil has pearance, habitat, food, conserva­ of the United States and Canada", hair, like plume of passing driven the worms deeply under­ tion, and study. This section is by A. A. Wright and A. H. bird" 1 ground in more exposed places. designed to serve as a guide to Wright • To this volume there find satisfactory interpretation. Most animals of the woodland identification by means of a key, is appended an excellent bibliog- Iowans are indeed fortunate in may at one time or another seek and a description and illustration <Contlnued to Page 27, Column 1) these times of travel difficulties protection under logs. One al­ of each form. In addition, there --- that their state parks and recre­ <Continued to Page 26, Column 1) 1Avallable from Comstock Publishing Co., are presented for each species Inc., Ithaca, New York ($3.00). CContinued to Page 26, Column 3) PAGE TWENTY-SIX IOWA CONSERVATIONIST - found about logs and stumps in for p1cnics. Many have cooking Iotva Conservationist July, \Vhile the gt ubs v.. hich bore equipment. Organized camping for groups, Published Monthly by in punky logs may be found at other times. such as Boy Scouts, 4-H Clubs, r THE IOWA STATE CONSERVATION Campfire Girls, and other organi­ COMMISSION Yellov..-Jackets (fig. 5), make d paper nests m hollow logs and zatlOns, arc available at Lake lOtiJ & Mulberry-D. s Moines Iowa A h q u a b i, Dolliver Memorial, JAMES R. HARLAN, Edrtor stumps, and during the \'l.'inter the hibernating queens may be Palisades Kepler, and Spring­ F. T SCHWOB D1rector brook State P arks. In these <No Rights Reserved) found in rotting logs where they 1 crawl m for protection. Hiber­ group camps are buildings for sleeping, administration, central MEMBERS OF THE cor.1MISSION nating queens of the bald-faced hornet may also be found in logs dining, and recreational facilities. F. J. POYNEER, Cedar Rap1ris "ha1rman out in spring they move out to These camps are fully equipped J D LOWE ..... A gona for use except for bedding and T .. Odebolt build the large paper nests one F. W. MATTES may sec hangmg from limbs of linen, which each group must h MRS. PARKER ues Mo1nes ADDISO~ trees (disturb with care). The provide. E: B. GAl.JI\IITZ ....... Lansing lat·gc black carpenter ants (fig. 6), Sites are available in practical­ R E. ~ TEWA~; . • . ... Ottumwa found in or on logs, excavate ex­ ly all the parks for tent and il Glenwood A S WORKMAN tensive tunnels m punky wood trailer camping for those who CIRCULATION hilS ISSUE -- 2l,024 and aid materially in reducing wish to "camp out". These ar eas Subscr ptro":l Rate 40c per year old logs to soil. Many other kinds are equipped with water supplies ~ubscr pt1ons recerved at Conservat1on of msects too numerous to men­ and sanitary facilities. Other Comm1ss O'l, lOth and Mu:berry, Des Momes, tion may be found living in or materials must be provided by Iowa "end coin check or monty order under fallen trees So we .find in the individual for his own use. winter as well as summer the Reservations for trailer or tent Conservation Commission camping sites can be made with Military Service Honor Roll fallen tree trunks, or logs on the ground, furnish home, food 01 the custodian m the area. cover to a greater variety of ani­ Sixty-six overnight fa m i 1 y mals than any other single type cabins arc ava1lable m m ne of rliTr~ - the parks for vacation use. E ach 1 uf object m the landscape. 1 * ALEx~·.o;::~ ED *JO>~N'JCN,HC s ""· accommodates four persons and l May we suggest for the bene­ is fully equipped with cooking I * AltxA'i?>.:l.,C :l. * lo.~t.•:NEtiYWA~ fit of animal life as well as the * f>Eil.P.Y ~EE' * '-E>TER,G£0 The study of an1mal l1fe under decay ng utensils, beds, da\·enport, chair, man who may follow you, whan and toilet, etc. Bedding and linen ~ JO!l.t-<501\, 1-1 * E "TY,Al6E~ ogs .s a fasw1at1ng past1me. Some or the rolling logs please put them back must be furnished by the user * CH!l.ISTOISEN <.... ~rPLEY,CJIAS 1nterest ng creatures thal may be fount. are \'l.'hNe you find them. ~OL bY, ~U&EP.T * MADDEN, K M shown in th1s illustration (1) Calosoma tali­ Fo1 cabm in.format10n address In­ *COOP£1\,RO&T * M~MAI-lON.A E dum, (2) spotted Pelidnota; (3) "eyed quiries to the State Conservation Commission, l Oth and Mulberry, ' *COOPEP.,WIL$0N* Mo':J!;".N, THOS elater (4) stag-beetle; (5) yellow-jacket, Iowa State Parks ~A&ER , u::S,.EP. * MOP. F. W J (6) black carpenter ant. Des Moines. ~rNK ... Av~R."l * PULVf_I1,,ROBT {Contmued from P 1ge 25) *'"~ c ~. NG!::R,~W * P.ECTOP.,JAS neath logs, and this one should ational areas are so located that G ame Surplus Receives * GEE,P.IC..;;.P.::> *SEVERSON!:!> be treated with respect. How­ every citizen m the state lives * G;J.AVES,~~il.DY *S MENSON,l-1 ever, the several species of milli­ within 40 miles of at least one of C o mm ission's Attention * 61U.£51NO, ~ * SJOSTROM, "'J pedes and centipedes appear them. Th1s 1s a distance easily * 1-!!.P.Vt:Y, WALT * SLYE.,E:DW harmless to man. Among the in­ rcachc d by gasoline allotted on Fluctuating gaml" crops often * I-IAUGSE ,JOHN *STARR,fRANK sects found under logs the great­ an A card. Pooling with a neigh­ cause situations to arlSe that need II * 1-K)FfMAN, G * 5H.MPEL,E est number of spec1es will p1ove bor and with a full carload 1t is to be dealt with by state con­ *140f'I='MAN, M. * STUffl£BE.AM, D to be Carabidac or ground beetles. poss1ble for most people to visit servatlOn departments independ­ One large type 1s Calosoma cali­ 1 II *~UGHES,DAVID *swEENEY.~oar an area several times during the ent of the legislature, and for * 1-lUu~E.S, DCN *MlALEN,JOHN dum (fig.