vinal COMMON MISTAKES IN NATURAL HISTORY 335 



Darning Needles are unable to darn; wormy apples do not con- 

 tain worms; and waves are never, no never "mountain high." 



How do Squirrels Open Nuts 



The answers were as follows: with their teeth (60%); crack 

 them open (18%); with their mouth (7%); gnaw them open 

 (4%). 



Contrary to prevailing opinion squirrels cannot crack nuts. 

 They gnaw them open. It is interesting to note that amongst a 

 hundred college freshmen (50 men and 50 women) this knowledge 

 was limited to 12% of the men. The answers might indicate 

 that the men get more of the outdoor experience. That 60% 

 of those examined say teeth indicates that the question was: 

 What is the principle organ used by the squirrel in opening nuts? 

 This reply is typical of the many indefinite answers. Pupils 

 should be trained to answer questions intelligently. 



The origin of the idea that squirrels crack nuts is ambiguous. 

 The fallacy is being perpetuated by first grade readers. There 

 are evidences in literature which suggest that the terms teeth, 

 crack, and nut are associated. Lamb in a letter to Wordsworth 

 (August 9, 1815) humorously uses the term cracker in place of 

 teeth, — "I conjecture my full-happiness 'd friend is picking his 

 crackers." Wilberforce in his life of S. Wilberforce (1868, p. 380) 

 in describing the nose and chin said, — "She is a toothless, nut- 

 cracker jawed old woman, but quite upright and active." The 

 Penny Encyclopedia refers to nut-cracking Squirrels and Grove 

 Matthew in his poetical work "The Most Famous and Tragical 

 Historie of Pelops and Hippodamia" (1587) writes of "The little 

 crack-nut Squirrels." The writer has been unable to find any 

 such species mentioned in any scientific treatise. 



When do Buds Form? 



Even if one never observed that buds begin to form early in 

 the summer they could easily reason this out as it is in summer 

 that plants do their growing and form their various structures. 

 In winter the buds are in a resting stage. In spring the bud may 

 develop into a leafy shoot. Sometimes it develops into a flower or 

 a flower cluster or it may produce both leaves and flowers. 



The average per cent of the answers classified by seasons shows 

 that fact and belief are very remote. Fall, 23.5%; winter, 24%; 

 spring, 60%; summer, 8%. The percentages, in this case, add 



