palmer CHILDREN'S NATURE INTERESTS 27 



with bizarre and uncommon phenomena and forms of life. The 

 figures made showed that the most commonly exhibited toy ani- 

 mals in the three cities were as follows in the order of their 

 abundance; — dog, horse, monkey, elephant, cow, cat, goat, sheep, 

 bear, rabbit, pig, lion, camel, squirrel. 



Few birds were found represented outside of picture books. 

 Reptiles were very rarely found represented and amphibia and 

 fish were as a rule apparently composite creatures of many or no 

 species. 



From the evidence collected it seemed quite evident that less 

 attempt was made to interest children in the commonplace species 

 than was made to interest them in- exotics. Further data on this 

 subject would be highly desirable in determining whether or not 

 there is any relation between the species used to add to the nature 

 knowledge of children artificially and the species which the ques- 

 tions received indicated, held a natural interest for children. 

 Though twenty -five percent of all the questions asked dealt with 

 invertebrates, particularly insects, members of this group were 

 but sparingly represented in the artificial nature with which 

 many children first become acquainted. Native mice, shrews, 

 bats, skunks, muskrats and weasels were found represented only 

 in books and there sparingly. These are the creatures however 

 with which children are to be thrown are they ever to make a 

 living directly from the land. A possible explanation for the 

 abundance of foreign animals found may be found in the fact 

 that formerly, at least most toys were manufactured abroad. 

 Why shouldn't children however be given the opportunity of 

 finding out about their immediate environment? Why shouldn't 

 our illustrated alphabets that state that a is for alligator, t is 

 for tiger, and z is for zebra instead tell of nature things. We 

 are advised to see America first, but we teach our children through 

 Noah's arks to know about the creatures of another hemisphere 

 first. We advise teachers to lead their children from the known 

 to the unknown, but place in their hands books which tell about 

 creatures which the children well never have the opportunity to 

 study first hand. If we must have these illustrated alphabets, 

 toy animals and the like, why not make them appropriate to the 

 needs of the children using them. Jingles if necessary at all may 

 be used to teach truths as well as nonsense. While the author 



