142 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [11:3— Mar., 1915 



Spring 



I. The Awakening Life of Spring. 

 i . Trees. 



A. Leaf calendar. 



B. Special study of shade trees of Mankato. Watch develop- 



ment of twigs kept in water indoors. 



C. Flowers of maple and elm. 

 Problems — 



What is the order in which the buds of our shade trees open? 

 How can we identify our shade trees before the buds open? 

 What is there in the bud that develops into leaf and flower? 

 How do the flowers of the elm and maple differ from other flowers 

 that you know such as the hepatica? 



2. Wild flowers. 



A. Calendar. 



B. Special study of white spring flowers, such as blood root, 



dwarf trillium, Dutchman's breeches, wild strawberry, 

 toothwort. 

 Problems — 



How does the flower of the bloodroot differ from the flower of Dutch- 

 man's breeches? 

 What is the best way of identifying each of these flowers? 

 How are these adapted to insect pollination ? 

 Which do you like the better of any two of these flowers? 



3. Cultivated flowers. 



Study of spring flowering perennials such as columbine, iris, 

 lily of the valley, peony, bleeding heart. 



Problems — 



Why are these desirable flowers to have in our garden? 

 What is necessary to do in order to have these flowers? 



II. The Returning Life of Spring. 

 I. The birds. 



A. Special study of birds of the air; such as rough winged 



swallow, bank swallow, martin, chimney swift, barn 

 swallow, night hawk, humming bird. 



B. Building nesting houses for bluebird and wren. 



C. Study of nesting habits. 



Nest, location, materials, construction; eggs; number, 

 size color, incubation, young birds; care given by 

 parents, time in nest; putting out nesting material. 



D. Formation of Audubon Bird Clubs, meetings during term. 



Problems — 



In what ways are swallows fitted for living on the wing? 

 How can we tell the different swallows apart? 



What can we observe about the nesting habits of the bank swallows 

 that nest back of the building? 



