THE AGASSIZ ASSOCIATION 



257 



Trout Eat Seeds. 



To the Editor: Croghan, New York 

 Enclosed please find a few speci- 

 mens for identification. They appear 

 to be seeds, but I am not certain that 

 trout are vegetable feeders. 

 Sincerely, 



G. B. Affleck. 



The seeds in your letter appear to be 

 those of some plant of the water lily 

 family. — N. L. Britton, Director-in- 

 Chief New York Botanical Garden, 

 New York City. 



Trout are not habitually vegetable 

 feeders and the occurrence of vege- 

 table material in their stomachs is 

 more or less accidental or incidental. 

 Seeds, as well as berries, are not in- 

 frequently swallowed, probably "by 

 mistake." Water lily seeds are men- 

 tioned in a specific record of stomach 

 contents of trout, and the fish has been 

 taken on a hook baited with blueber- 

 ries. — H. M. Smith, Commissioner of 

 Fisheries, Washington, D. C. 



Nature Study In the Schools Is In- 



creasing. 



Good news comes from "The Na- 

 ture-Study Review" at Ithaca, New 

 York, a magazine devoted especially 

 to the pedagogical phases of nature. 

 The September number announces an 

 increase in size. We quote the follow- 

 ing : 



"Will the members do their best to 

 help proclaim the nature-study idea? 

 The movement is growing splendidly. 

 We see it in the increased demand for 

 Nature-Study courses in the Normal 

 Schools and Teachers' Colleges. There 

 never have been so many students or 

 such enthusiastic ones." 



This is indeed encouraging. We too 

 have observed a general increase in 

 nature study, as perhaps any one who 

 has "kept his ear to the ground," so to 

 speak, has done within the last two or 

 three years. As our readers well know, 

 we are not striving especially for na- 

 ture study in the school, but are really 

 more interested in the study of com- 

 monplace nature with uncommon in- 

 terest by the general public and ama- 

 teur naturalists, but it is encouraging 

 to note, as we do in this magazine, that 

 the schools are increasing their inter- 

 est in the delightful work. 



Establishing a Zoo at Prospect Park. 



"The Brooklyn Daily Eagle" has 

 been leading a commendable move- 

 ment by which it hopes to obtain con- 

 tributions for the purpose of buying 

 the Bostock collection of animals, now 

 in England, where they must be im- 

 mediately disposed of — the British war 

 authorities have issued an edict to this 

 effect. They are, for this reason, of- 

 fered by Mrs. Bostock at a low price. 

 Among those taking active part in the 

 project is Professor John J. Schoon- 

 hoven, President of the Department of 

 Zoology of the Brooklyn Institute, and 

 well-known to all nature lovers as an 

 enthusiastic natural scientist. Com- 

 missioner Ingersoll of the Park is also 

 lending his aid to the support of "The 

 Brooklyn Daily Eagle." A part of the 

 plan is to solicit small contributions 

 from children. 



It is well for any community to in- 

 terest the people in the varied phases of 

 animal life. The larger cities can 

 have menageries and zoological collec- 

 tions, but it should not be forgotten 

 that this part of the Connecticut coast 

 should make available for study all 

 forms of plant and animal life, espe- 

 cially our own common ones. It is 

 indeed well to study the large animals 

 that may be rare or be brought from 

 foreign countries, but it is even better 

 for those who live near to nature, as 

 most of us do in this part of the Con- 

 necticut coast, to be well informed on 

 our own native plants and animals. 

 Charity begins at home ; so should the 

 study of natural science. Professor 

 Schoonhoven states that the children 

 are much more interested in animals 

 than in plants. That, as a general 

 principle, we believe to be true ; occa- 

 sionally we see exceptions. It is un- 

 doubtedly true that city children are 

 almost unanimous in their regard for 

 the large animals of the zoos. It is 

 possible for the city child or man to 

 know more about the hippopotamus 

 from Africa than about the cow in a 

 field of the nearest farm. To know 

 the cow at home is better than to know 

 the "river horse" from Africa. 



The teacher should forage widely 

 and incessantly and bring everything 

 within reach in his field to his class. — 

 G. Stanley Hall. 



