1032 - Rural School Leaflet. 



4. Describe the colors of the chickadee as follows: top of head, back, 

 wings, tail, throat, and breast. 



5 . Compare the beak of the chickadee with that of the downy wood- 

 pecker and tell why each is best adapted to procure food for its owner. 



6. Does the chickadee find its food on the trunks of trees or on the 

 twigs? What is the food which it finds in the North during the winter? 



7. Describe the chickadee's actions when hunting for food. 



8 . Why is the chickadee of great value to the farmer and the fruit grower ? 



9. How can these birds be induced to visit the orchards? 



10. What is the chickadee's song? Did you ever hear it sing " phoebe" ? 

 At what time of year? 



11. W^here do the chickadees build their nest? Of what material 

 is it made? When is the nest built? 



12. What colors and marking are on the eggs? 



"When piped a tiny voice hard by, 

 Gay and polite, a cheerful cry, 

 Chic-chicadeedee ! saucy note 

 Out of sound and merry throat. 

 As if it said, 'Good day, good sir! 

 Fine afternoon, old passenger! 

 Happy to meet you in these places. 

 Where January brings few faces.' " 



— Ralph Waldo Emerson 



RECOGNITION OF BIRDS 



"One knows the spring is coming: 



There are birds ; the fields are green ; 

 There is balm in the sunlight and moonlight, 



And dew in the twilights between." — W. D. Howells 



The chickadee is the bird for special study this year, and, in addition 

 to this, pupils are requested to identify the blue bird, Maryland yellow- 

 throat, chipping sparrow, brown creeper, wood pewee, Baltimore oriole, 

 and barn swallow. It may be that in some districts the chickadee 

 will not be seen this year; but probably in the vicinity of every school- 

 house some one of the other birds will be found. 



Children very often write to us asking us to tell them the name of 

 a bird. They give but few facts and often from these facts we are 

 not able to tell what the bird is. We, therefore, ask the teacher 

 to have the following simple outline placed on the blackboard, allowing 

 it to remain there during the year; then when the children write to 

 us asking information about any bird they have seen, let them tell 

 us facts about it as far as possible from this outline : 



1. Where seen — in a tree or on the ground. 



2. Size — compare with the sparrow, robin, or croy^^. 



3. General color above and below. 



