Rural School Leaflet. 



897 



A special topic for grades seven to eight is The Food of Birds, to deter- 

 mine the economic value of birds to farmers, fruit growers, and residents 

 of towns or cities. An 

 article will be published in 

 the March issue on this 

 subject. In the meantime, 

 let the children find out all 

 they can about the food of 

 birds. Many of the winter 

 birds are seed eaters. Have 

 a Nature-Study lesson on 

 the different kinds of seeds 

 that the children can find 

 on their way to school, 

 whether these seeds are on 

 trees or whether they are 

 on the dry stalks that 

 stand up above the snow. 



Special Study of Animal 

 Life. — In the study of ani- 

 mal life this year the 

 special work is The Dog, 

 and to compare with the 

 dog the horse, cat, mouse, 

 rabbit, and squirrel. In the advanced grades the pupils are expected 

 to classify these animals into those that are useful and those that are 

 harmful. Next month some facts on this classification will be given and 



Fig. 



lats aitd birds are not so friendly as 

 they sometimes seem to be 



Fig. 21. — What kind of mouse is thisf 



29 



