The children's interest is further shown by the increasing num- 

 bers who come to the Museum, often with the announcement 

 that "teacher" told them to come. Joining a group of small 

 boys and girls one morning, I was greeted enthusiastically with 

 * ' We ' ve got a Bluebird at our school teacher says you sent us, a 

 father and a mother bird." Here a scornful voice broke in 

 "That ain't nothin'. We got a mother bat and three babies and 

 she flies with 'em". The advantage being obviously on the 

 side of the bat, I hastened to reinstate the Bluebird by leading 

 the children to its nest and pointing out its beautiful blue eggs. 

 No small boy can resist the appeal of an egg, though sadly we 

 must admit he generally wants to possess it, and is slow to ap- 

 preciate the ethics which decree it right for the Museum to col- 

 lect but wrong for him to do so. 



Besides the traveling exhibits the Museum deposits annually 

 in each school what is known as a Picture Envelope. At first 

 these emvelopes contained pictures only, but now they include 

 also typewritten information for the teacher on subjects outlined 

 in the nature study course but not illustrated by traveling exhi- 

 bits. The preparation of "teacher's stories," study outlines, 

 and descriptive labels for the exhibits has been a very useful and 

 important though inconspicuous accomplishment of the past 

 few months. Previously instruction had been given to teachers 

 by means of lectures. 



Material not suitable for traveling exhibits is frequently dis- 

 tributed. Quantities of tadpoles, frogs, and toads have been 

 supplied to both public and private schools. Native broom- 

 grass was sent out this year at Hallowe'en and was transformed 

 by the children into brooms for the witches. Occasionally spec- 

 imens from the Museum's general collections are lent, particu- 

 larly to teachers of intermediate grades for which the Museum 

 as yet provides no regular exhibits. 



In some schools these teachers borrow the primary exhibits 

 and one principal tells me that he sends each nature study exhib- 

 it through every grade, after first carefully studying it himself. 



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