A NATURALIST BUYS AN OLD FARM

Admirers of naturalist Teale's work will enjoy this sunny tribute to the idyllic life, idyllic, that is, for those who cherish nature in those vanishing New England rural areas -- where meadows and woods still hum and chirp and people are sparse, civil and, best of all, private. Teale walks his acres in Connecticut, pointing out birds, small animals, pond life, weathered rocks and the open sky. Then there are a few village tales, bits of town history, and his log of a marvelous balloon ride, ""drifting and dreamlike."" Teale's insistence on accurate observation, and his quiet patience may disarm the straphanger's irritation with those who got away. But mainly this is for Teale's following.