HOME NATURE-STUDY COURSE. 



TEACHER'S LEAFLET. 



BASED ON THE WORK FOR FOURTH AND FIFTH YEAR PUPILS AS OUTLINED 



IN THE SYLLABUS OF NATURE STUDY AND AGRICULTURE ISSUED 



BY THE NEW YORK STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. 



THE MUSKRAT. 



Although but few of our common wild animals are available for winter 

 study, yet they offer a most fascinating phase of nature-study, since 

 the reading of tracks in the snow is a part of every boy's education who 

 aspires to a knowledge of wood lore. The boy who reads the writing 

 made by small feet on the soft snow or on the mud of stream margins is 

 sure to be looked upon with great admiration by boys less skilled in its 

 interpretation. It is well for the nature-study teacher to avail herself of 

 this fact, and by stimulating such ambition she may get her pupils so 

 interested that they will follow not only the tracks, but the animal itself 

 and learn its habits. 



Lesson XXXV. 



MUSKRAT TRACKS. 



Purpose. — To teach the pupils where to find the tracks of the muskrat, 

 how they look, and from the tracks to discover something of the winter 

 habits of the animal. 



Material. — Induce the pupils to discover and describe all of the tracks 

 they can find about the edges of a creek, pond or marsh. 



Observations. — (i). If you have found tracks of the muskrat in what 

 locality did you discover them? 



(2). Measure the track as follows: (a) width and length of the print 

 of one foot; (b) the width between the prints of the two hind feet; (c) 

 the length between the prints made by the hind feet in several successive 

 steps or jumps. 



(3). Is the track made by walking or jumping? 



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