OUTLINE OF BIRD STUDY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2624, 29 June 1904, Page 87

OUTLINE OF BIRD STUDY.

By Robeet H. Wolcott, University of Nebraska. The- following outline is presented for the help of teachers. The questiors may besuggested to the children, while ihe teachers should verify then- conclusions and point to the deductions to be made. The suggestions in parentheses are for the guidance of the teacher in making deductions and drawing conclusions. The whole outline may be used and a complete biography of any given bird be compiled by the whole school, or parts of the same selected and comparisons be made between different birds — as to habits, focd, flight, etc. It is expected that tli3 answers will be on the basis of field observations. Nearly all the qvestiens, if not all, can b& answered without the use of a field giass, and wirh it all can be. Be very careful not to en to* upon the study of birds' nests unless you have pupjls well in hand, and can feel assured the result will not be to encourage the destructive tendencies mherent especially in boys. The use of' simple outline drawings to show pattern <f colourations, form of bill, wings, tail, and feet, etc., is strongly advised. Either individual notebooks, or a school notebook:, should be kept, and all facts when settled made a matter of exact record. Children should be carefully taught that the law will not allow, them to kill bird's or rob birds' nesfes. and th& making of a collection, except of nests which Wave btwii used, should not be encouiaged. The cutline may, in largo part, be applied to the study of domesticated bird^. I. — \rFJLARAXi~E. 1. Size.— How large is ihe b : rd? (Compare with Eiijjlhh sparrow, robin, crow, lien, etc.) 2. Form.— (a) Body: Is it long and slender — thrasher, cuckoo, — or stouter — grosbeak, — or short and thick — quail? (Show that the form of the body in all our birds is fitted for flight, tapering towards each end with the widest place at the point of attachment of the wings. The centre, of gravity being at that place the bird can tilt itself wh&n in tho air with the greatest case.) (b) Bill: Is it long and slender — hummingbird, snipe, — or long and strong — wood-pe-cker, — or short end slender — chickadee, — or short and stout — grosbeak. — or hooked — hawk, or flat — duck, (Show that character of the bill is related to tha- kind of food' and the manner cf taking it.) (c) Feet: Are the feet larqe — hawk,— or small — swallow? Are the. toes loi.g — snipe, — or short — quail? Are they webbed — duck, — or free. — robin? How are the toes placed, three in Iront and one behind — most birds, — or two in front and two behind — woodpecker? How many are there? (Show th'tt the feet are strong in proportion to their use, and rfodified in accordance with tho manner of their use for walking, swimming, climbing, etc. If possible get a chanoo to study the imprint of birds' fe&t in mud, as along a pond or stream.) JJ) Tail : Is it long — cuckoo, — or short — sparrow? Is it square r.t the — robin, — or forked — barn swallow, — or pointed 1 — grackle? Are the feathers soft, or btiff, and sharply pointed — woodpecke-r ? How is it held in flying? (Call attention to the uses of the tail: as a rudder in flight — notice a grackle flyjng, — as a parachute — watch a bawk, soaring,— aa a support in chuibjng—

observe a w oodpecker All birds spread th^ tail more or le«-, 111 fiigiit ) (c) Colour: "What is tho gcupial coloir? What markings are there? What maiks aro c> posed by rais'no of crest or spreading- of tail and wings in flight? (Call attention to tho piotcctivo element in the. colour of bircU — lighter bolow where the shadow fa'h, streaked in tho caso of ground «iiarioiv«, etc.) ti. — v»und\xpe. Is the bird common or rare in your locality? Is it more' common at certain times of year than at others? Is it equally abundant &\erywhrre? 111. — HOME. 1. Locality: If not equally abundant 111 all places, is it found in woods? In fields? In bushy tracts? Along road c ides? About houses? Elsewhere.? Whit reason for its choosing ce±tain localities? 2. Emiioumeut: Is the locality where it is found on a hill or in a vaMey? Is it near water? I<? it near house=, or not? What aio its surroundings? Why dees the bird choose these-? 2. Habitjt: Where do you se« the birds usually — in a tree, in Lushes, or on tho ground? Do you bco it in one place, at a.iy certain time, or elsewhere at another iime? Why so seen. (Call oitc-ntion to tho efff-efc of the nature and distribution of ioorl. tho ne-sting habits, etc , on th& choice, of locality; call attention also to the adaptation of the bird to its imial conirouinent in regard to form, colouring, etc.) iv. — actio vs. What i- the u<;pal peivh of the bird? How do€c it sit on tho peich? (A whip-noor-wili sits lenglhw'sp of a limb.) Docs it rtand erect, or crouch? Does it sic quietly, or is it ccus'intly moving? Ar? it^ movements quick or slow? "Docs it movo Us wirg, or tail? Does raise a crest, or ear-tufts? V. — MOVEMENT. 1. Kinds: What kinds of movement does tho bird possess — flying, walking, or running or hopping, or swimming or diving? Which is its usual m inner of movement? 2. In tho Wa'er: Does it swim well? Does it cave? Docs it u>e its win as in swimming or diving? 3. On the Ground : Does it walk, or run, or hop? Docs it use its wings? Does it mo\e rapidly, or not? How does it hold its body when walking, running, or hopping? 4. In the Air— Flight: If its fli°ht slow, or rapid? Is it strong end for long distancss, or weak? Is it in a straight line, or not? • Do the wing, move slowly, or rapidly? How is ihe lail held? How bigh above the groaad do you see it flying? Docs it ever roar— holding itself quietly in tl c air, moving slowly along with no apparent motion of wings or tail? Do you ever see it ho\er — holding itself exactly in the same spot in the air, moving its wiugs rapidly? (Call attention to the reiatio-n between size of bod}-, and size of wings of their rapidity of movement, and the power of flight of the particular kind of biid. Dwell on the adaptation — in form of body, position of legs, etc. — of difiei^nt kinds of birds for different modes of progression.)— Special Day Ex2roi3ss for Nebia-ka Schools. MAKING USE Of HIS LEARNING. A small boy was introduced by his teacher to the ditto mark. He thought it wou'd pave trouble, and he soon found occa-.ioa. to turn his knowledge to account. While away on a shoit -\isit he wrote to his father. The letter ran: — ■

Tom. SOTXD OF THE COXSOXANT "N." This has two sounds — (1) a^ m "' nine," and (2) the union of "n"' with the letters c, k, q, and g. 1. The notorious nmny, negligent of the nobleman's enchantment, contaminates his nautical nondescript with antmcmiFii nonsense. Ninety-rj.ne manmkins unanimously enchain wxt'i winning tones the benign duDiina at. the Socunan Convention of the "non-residents. 2 The bink conquers the strangling donkey and sanctions the lank conclave In the pu i<.Ui.ous cor.cours-c. 'j'lio sanguine uncle hugers locg among the tinklino ii-go'-s, and jingles^h-S wnnk'ed fingers over the linguists angular shrunk shank. lam thinking of contending o^ the hustings, so relinquish your standing 111 the crisp fnmgpan. by jumping over the winding railing ; and while you are laushmg, crying, sleeping, waking, lestuig, or working, you may bs saihrg on the swelling, boihm>ocean, where Ihe limiriiig herrings are leaping, skipping, and dancing aroimd. Referring to final "g." th© author of I ihe Art of Reading and Speaking" (these exercises, like the others, are from that book) 4 ays:— "Of all the. slovcaly styles of reading and speaking, there is none worse thin HlO habit of dropping the ' g,' and sayingr " Oood mornin',' ' C4ood evenin',' 'I'm makin' a stunnin' puddin',' and so forth. Thus, tho omission of one letter is cnoush to turn the be^t of reading into the wor?t vulgarity-. Truly, as I have said in a former chapter, ' there is no such thine as a trifle.' " i The following short quotation gives a good opportunity of using inflections of the voice intelligent'^-:— " fie> knows his nose. 1 know ho knows his no«e ; and if ho says 1 know ho knows his nose, of course ho ! knows I know he knows his nose." I

Dear Father, I hope jou are well " " rbolher is "' " " sister " " " " Dick " '' grandmother " " I wish you were l.ere " ' mother was " " " si&ter " " " " Die* " you would sericl vie seme money. Your a if. son,