study, but pictures and models may be more readily substituted, because little children who know nothing or very little about flowers, make observations on the activities of animals, their structure and their habits. They are acquainted with the habits, utterances, method of obtaining food and characteristic activities of many domestic animals. Besides child nature is more attracted to animal life than to plant life. Teachers may make arrangements with a neighboring dealer in birds, dogs, etc., to furnish, for a short time, materials for observation. The children can plant grass seeds in wet cotton; they can grow flax seed in a sponge; they can make a cup by digging out a sweet potato, filling it with water, hanging it in the sunshine and waiting for results. They can put a sweet potato in a tumbler of water, or a Mason jar and watch the vine as it grows about the wall. They can place a few vegetables in a dark cellar and compare their sprouts with those grown in the sunlight. They can take empty egg shells and make experiments with the different kinds of soil, using shells as miniature flowerpots. They can enter into correspondence with some country school and by supplying the country children with pictures. cut from papers, with magazines, with views of city life, with drawings made by themselves, with books, they will receive in return barrels of nature study material. It is not advisable, however, that such mutual exchange should take place between schools in the heart of a large city and those on the outskirts of the same, because the zeal of the young collectors would result in great destruction of plant life. They can bring pets to school for animal study. In Teachers can collect material, either through their own exertions which would be beneficial to them physically and mentally, by means of an organization among themselves, some in each school being alternately delegated to supply the others. New York City the Science Committee of the Alumnae of the Normal College, knowing that many teachers have little time to devote to collecting material, has undertaken the very commendable task of supplying such teachers as apply to them with nature materials of all kinds. In addition to furnishing the teachers with material, information concerning specimens is gladly given. The city authorities, however, can do most toward supplying the schools systematically with the proper material, and that without great expense. The park authorities, for example, after pruning and thinning out might save much of the material that is now destroyed, send it to a central distributing station and from there forward it to the schools. At a slight expense our parks could supply also cocoons and caterpillars. The city authorities could also set aside in each of the large parks fields in which wild flowers could be cultivated and at stated times delivered at schools. Such field, or fields, of wild flowers would certainly not detract from the beauty of the park and it would save the wild flowers of our suburbs from destruction. The authorities in charge of the New York Aquarium have offered to supply fish suitable for school purposes. The time is undoubtedly approaching when other city departments will co-operate with the educational department in such a man ner that all will be benefited; the educational department by being able to present to the child the objects necessary in its instruction; the other departments by helping in this work, are preparing for themselves an interested, intelligent and appreciative body of citizens who will understand the labors of the scientists connected with our gardens, museums, and aquaria-they are thus helping to train for themselves future visitors to their institutions who will not only gaze with wonder at the curious, but who will be intelligent students, and not mere interested and admiring observers as the visitors to our public institutions are at present. Is it worth while? "The Maker of all things, has set in me a love for whatsoever He fashioned in His handiwork, whether it be furry beast or pretty bird, or a spray of April willow, or the tiny insect-creature that pursues its dumb, blind way through this, our common world. So come I, by my love for the voices of the night, and the eyes of the stars, and the whisper of growing things, and the spice in the air where, unseen, a million tiny blossoms hold up white cups for dew, or for the misty-winged things that woo them for their honey." "The Maid - at - Arms," Chapter VI. OBSERVATION OF OUR COMMON BIRDS JAMES J. MCCABE, District Superintendent, New York For the purpose of outdoor recreation or pastime, it will be difficult to find anything more delightful or attractive than the observation of the busy little feathered creatures whose cheery, chirping voices greet us at all seasons of the year. Even the common sparrow, who is found in our noisiest streets winter and summer, will repay a little observation; but in our parks, in the suburbs, in all country places, may be found other birds who at the periods of their visits deserve more than a passing glance, though their presence may not be so persistently brought to our notice; and it is of some of these that this article will briefly treat. To those who have been deterred from making any attempt at bird observation by the intricacies of ornitho logical science, let me say from experience that a great amount of real enjoyment may be derived from a slight acquaintance with some of our birds, even without knowledge of scientific details; and if the perusal of these pages will encourage someone to begin this acquaintance, they will not have been written in vain. There is plenty of opportunity for all who desire it, as our large parks offer to the city resident many excellent points for observation, while the resident of the rural districts will find abundant material at his very door. The few birds described here are easy to identify; and if the beginner, armed with a good opera-glass, will start out in March or April, it is very probable that before the end of May the number of additional birds noted, and the interest in them, will have grown to such proportions that a bird book or manual for identification will have become a necessity. There are many good books of this kind, among them being John B. Grant's "Our Common Birds and How to Know Them" (Scribner's), Apgar's "Birds of the United States" (American Book Co.), and "Bird Neighbors" (Doubleday, Page & Co.). The various works of Frank M. Chapman (Appleton's) are excellent; and the ladies will enjoy Florence E. Merriam's "Birds Through an Opera Glass" (Houghton, Mifflin & Co.), and the writings of Olive Thorne Miller and Mabel Osgood Wright. John Burroughs' "Birds and Bees" (Riverside Literature Series, No. 28), should be read; and the colored pictures of birds issued by A. W. Mumford, of Chicago, will be found very helpful, as in coloring they are the most accurate that have been produced. Do not try at first to study too many birds, but give attention to those with some distinctive mark or song; and try always to be on the sunny side of your bird, as colors are not easily distinguishable from the other side. Make your observations, if possible, in the early morning or early evening, though in the spring and fall months, and fre quently in the sum mer, any hour of the day may be used with profit. From early spring until the approach of winter, some of our songbirds are of them are willing to sing for us long after the nesting season-some, in fact, all of the time they are in our vicinity. Among the earliest comers are the robin, the blackbird, the song sparrow and the bluebird, all of whom will be on hand in March, and, with the possible exception of the bluebird, quite numerous. The robin is without doubt our bestknown song bird. He is a large bird, about nine or ten inches long, with a reddish-brown breast, and has a cheerful, whistling song, consisting of a few rippling notes given first with a rising and then with a falling inflection. He arrives early in March, and may be seen at any hour of the day hopping, running or flying. There is no mistaking him, as he is very much in evidence and easily observed. The two blackbirds are also plentiful. I have seen large numbers of them on a sharp morning in March swinging in a brisk wind on the topmost branches of tall trees in Prospect Park, chattering away in loud tones, and giving their usual call-quonk-aree, quonk-a-ree. The larger one is the purple grackle, about twelve inches YOUNG RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS From Chapman's Bird Studies with a Camera Copyright by Frank M. Chapman with us, and many Photographed by author He is about the size of the common sparrow, with a brown-spotted breast and a dark spot on each side of his throat. He perches on a branch seldom more than fifteen or twenty feet from the ground, and begins his song with three distinct, shrill notes, which are usually followed by an indescribable warbling passage, sweet, though sometimes a little husky. You will easily recognize his song in March or April, as it is the only one of the kind heard at that time, and it may be heard as late as November in any part of New York or New England. The Robin Bluebird Kingfisher Long Island. I am informed, however, that they can be found in Central Park, and I have found them plentiful in New York and New England, where they like to live near the homes of men, to whom they are perhaps the most welcome visitors of the springtime. There can be no mistake about identification, on account of the azureblue back and wings and cinnamon breast. The early spring is a good time to meet a beautiful member of the woodpecker family, who is variously called golden-winged woodpecker, flicker, crescent on back of head, and see how little red there is on each feather-a good example of bird marking. While making the acquaintance of these early visitors, it may be that strolling along by lake or stream side, you will hear a clattering sound like that made by rubbing a light stick across the pickets of a fence. This will be the rattling call of the belted kingfisher (Halcyon), who is a very important-looking bird, especially in flight, but whose appearance when at rest is really somewhat rakish. He is about thirteen inches long, with a have opportunity for quiet observation, you may see him dive into the water with a splash and come from under with a fish in his beak, which he will eat awkwardly, perhaps first beating it on the branch until it is dead. You will find the sight interesting, but perhaps not very agreeable, as there is a decided lack of delicacy about the entire proceeding. If by the end of April you have made a few trips to any of our large parks, or other good places for observation, you will probably know the few birds already described, and will |