498 Home Nature-Study Course. 



Judd, Bulletin 15; "The Food of Nestling Birds," Year-Book, 

 1900. 



Supplementary Reading. — "A Street Troubadour," Lives of the 

 Hunted, Thompson Seton. First Book of Birds, Miller, p. 81. "Bliz- 

 zard and Three Sparrows That Live in the House," from True Bird, 

 Stories, Miller. " The English Sparrow," Forsyth, a poem. Songs of 

 Nature, p. 233. 



THE RABBIT. 



Preliminary Work. — If the pupils do not have an opportunity for studying pet 

 rabbits outside of the schoolroom there should be one introduced especially for the 

 purpose of the lesson. We know of several schools where a pet rabbit has had the 

 freedom of the schoolroom and has given much pleasure to the pupils. In one 

 instance it was kept in the basement nights, in another in the woodshed. After 

 the pupils have fed the little creature and have come to care for it the lessons mav 

 be given as a natural outgrowth of their interest. 



LESSON LIX. 



PHYSICAL ADAPTATIONS. 



Purpose. — To call the pupils' attention to the way the rabbit is fitted 

 to get its food and to escape from its enemies. 



The first thing the pupils will note about the rabbit is what and how 

 it eats, because the preparation of its food is a part of the child's duties. 

 This should lead to a discussion of what wild rabbits eat and where they 

 find their food. Note how the rabbit's teeth are fitted for gnawing, 

 through having the two long, gnawing teeth in the front of each jaw. 

 The remaining teeth are broad grinders in the back of the mouth. With 

 all other rodents than the rabbit there are no teeth between the gnawing 

 teeth and the grinding teeth, but the rabbits have a small pair of teeth 

 on each side of the upper long ones. These are left-overs from rabbit 

 ancestors, which evidently had four gnawing teeth on each jaw. It is 

 with these front, gnawing teeth that the rabbit hurts young trees by 

 girdling them in winter, when driven by starvation to feed upon the bark. 

 Note the cleft upper lip which leaves the gnawing teeth free. 



In its, general appearance the two most noticeable things about a 

 rabbit are its long ears and its long hind legs. These two characters arc 

 closely connected ; the long ears are always on the move to catch anv 

 sound of danger, and as soon as it is heard its direction is determined, 

 and then the long, hind legs are used to help the little creature go in the 

 other direction in mighty leaps. The constantly moving nose probably 



