36 The Living Things of the Earth unit i 



2. If possible, visit a zoo or natural history museum. Gather facts of 

 interest about several different kinds of mammals. To which order does 

 each belong? 



3. Prepare special reports on topics such as the following: (a) The in- 

 telligence of the great apes, (b) the mammals of a special region, such 

 as Australia, (c) the mammals of my vicinity, (d) man's use of mammals. 



4. When you have finished the section on mammals, gather together all 

 the important ideas you have learned about mammals under the following 

 headings: a list of mammals with those of one order gathered together; 

 the uses of mammals to man; the harm done to man by other mammals; 

 unusual mammals; mistaken ideas or superstitions about mammals. 



Birds 



5. Study of a living bird. If possible, observe a canary, a pigeon or a 

 chicken. Or study a house sparrow or some other common bird, out of 

 doors. How long is the bird? If you can handle it, find out how large 

 the bird's body is and how wide a wingspread it has. What markings 

 does it have? Describe their location accurately. (Make use of the dia- 

 gram in the text.) How far dow^n on the legs do the feathers go? In what 

 direction do the feathers on the wings and body point? Where are the 

 longest feathers? the shortest? Describe the toes. Examine the eyes 

 closely. Describe. How far around can the bird turn its head? Describe the 

 beak and method of getting food. 



6. Have you ever looked closely at a feather? Cut the quill crosswise 

 to find out why it is so light. Use a hand lens for the study of the other 

 parts. Cut a point on the end of a large quill and use it as a pen. 



Reptiles and Amphibians 



7. Have you heard about the snake that swallows the end of its tail 

 and rolls like a hoop? Have you heard of the milk snake that steals milk 

 from the cow? Have you heard that horsehairs left in water Mill turn 

 into snakes? Comment on each of these statements. State: {a) What your 

 reason would lead you to believe and why, {b) whether in these cases 

 observation or experiment might help you arrive at the truth, {c) what 

 else you might do to convince yourself that each story is or is not true. 



8. Are there poisonous snakes in your part of the country? Ask the 

 class secretary to write to the nearest college or zoo to find our. What 

 are they? Where are they likely to be found? How can you avoid being 

 bitten? 



9. Using the facts presented in this book, write a brief report on the 

 importance of reptiles and amphibians to man. Add more information if 

 you arc sure it has been obtained on good authority. State what authori- 

 ties you consulted so that others can decide whether or not to accept the 

 information. 



