johnson] NATURE-STUDY IN CHICO NORMAL 15 1 



they multiply and also demonstrated to us the fact that not all 

 insects come from eggs previously deposited by the mother. We 

 are hoping for an opportunity, which will no doubt come this 

 autumn, to see in our gardens the work of still another of nature's 

 checks on these pests, namely, the parasites which infest them 

 and keep their numbers effectually reduced. 



Further opportunity for the study of insect friends and foes is 

 afforded us in the great variety of scale-insects to be found on the 

 various plants of the campus and on the fruit trees in the im- 

 mediate neighborhood. The fact is thus impressed upon us that 

 there are comparatively few plants which are not infested with 

 some sort of scale-insect. We are further furnished with the 

 strongest motives for seeking to find the best means of eradica- 

 tion. All discussion of the means of control must of course be 

 preceded by an examination of the structures of insects and care- 

 ful observation of their habits of life, etc. Wherever possible 

 all the means which nature has provided (such as parasites) must 

 be encouraged. Thus pupils are led easily to distinguish be- 

 tween the noxious and the beneficial, and to seek to destroy the 

 one and to preserve the other. 



Some damage was done to our cabbages during the latter part 

 of spring, and it became an interesting problem to determine what 

 bird was the guilty one and to devise means of preventing the 

 injury. After the offender had been identified, observation and 

 reading brought us readily to the conclusion that the slight toll 

 taken from the cabbages was all too little recompense for the in- 

 jurious insects and noxious weed seeds eaten by this same 

 feathered intruder. Thus a new appreciation for the birds was 

 brought about by this incident of the garden and a desire was 

 created to find out by observation (supplemented by reading) as 

 much as possible concerning the other birds of the locality, their 

 recognition, food and nesting habits, food of nestlings, etc. The 

 literature of the Audubon and humane societies, national and 

 state, and the numerous pamphlets from state experiment sta- 

 tions and the Department of Agriculture did good service here. 



At the close of the summer vacation the children returned to 

 find that their gardens which had been left in good condition in 

 June were now overgrown with weeds. Thev naturally asked, 

 "Where did all these weeds come from ; " Thus the way was pre- 

 pared very naturally for a study of the migration of plants, and 



