THE OUTDOOR WORLD. 



385 



for such special efforts to bring' the 

 child in close touch with nature. Edu- 

 cation then meant a knowledge of the 

 classics. But today, with surround- 

 ings purely cosmopolitan and educa- 

 tional methods strongly scientific and 

 with the increased interest in agricul- 

 ture and forestry, we must take steps 

 to give the children a better under- 

 standing and appreciation of what they 

 can find in their parks. Once you in- 

 terest them and train them to see the 

 hidden treasures around them, the rest 

 will take care of itself. You just set 

 the pace and they will soon flock to 

 the parks of their own accord and un- 

 consciously utilize every spare moment 

 in the highest form of development. 



Now, how can that be best accom- 

 plished? Principally by a close coop- 

 eration between teachers, parents and 

 park authorities. The teachers and 

 parents must induce the children to 

 use the parks frequently and the park 

 officials must take the proper means of 

 making these places attractive to them 

 and of facilitating every opportunity 

 for studying the trees and other nat- 

 ural objects. The duties of the 

 teachers and parents need very little 

 comment. Let the trips to the parks be 

 as frequent as possible. Let all obser- 

 vations be made in the held. Discard 

 all books, and follow the rambles with 

 discussion or composition. 



The program for the park authorities 

 is a much untried one and I can only 

 cite my own practices by way of 

 suggestion. 



First : Have the representative 

 trees, labelled in bold type, giving the 

 common and latin name, the general 

 locality and the family to which the 

 species belongs. In case of small 

 parks it becomes practical to draw up a 

 map showing the exact location of 

 each tree and shrub and to accompany 

 that with a list of names and dis- 

 tinguishing characters of each speci- 

 men. A list of this sort was published 

 by the Children's Museum located m 

 Bedford Park, Brooklyn, and proved a 

 great help to the pupils of the neigh- 

 boring schools. 



Second : Attractive circulars show- 

 ing the interesting parts of the parks, 

 are very helpful in acquainting one 



with the best there is to be seen. 



Third: Lectures on the local parks, 

 illustrated with steropticon views will 

 go a great way to stimulate a desire to 

 visit the places shown on the screen. 

 In New r York City, I have the oppor- 

 tunity to present these lectures 

 through its Board of Education and 

 through private organizations. 



Fourth: Cooperation with the 

 schools on Arbor Day, Arbor Day is 

 the principal day in the year when the 

 child and the local tree department can 

 work in unison. In Brooklyn we plant 

 trees in the front of the different 

 schools on that day, and invite the 

 children to take part in the planting 

 and other ceremonies. I address them 

 from their school platform and distri- 

 bute appropriate literature through the 

 press and other sources. 



Nature's Drum-Corps. 



BY FRED E. BROOKS, MORGANTOWN, W. VA. 



Among all the musicians of our east- 

 ern woods the male ruffed grouse ranks 

 as the leader of the drum-corps. His 

 rigid pose when "at attention" and his 

 militarv bearing while beating his roll 

 leave little need for other insignia of 

 office, but, when in the early spring 

 from a tent of underbrush his mellow 

 reveille sounds forth over hill and vale 

 we unquestionably salute him as the 

 duly commissioned captain of the band. 

 Another drummer of no mean ability is 

 the nighthawk. In the spring when the 

 white oak leaves have grown to the 

 size of a gray squirrel's feet is the time, 

 and a hilltop in a partially wooded 

 locality the place, to look and listen 

 for this performer. About sundown 

 the birds are apt to appear, perhaps half 

 a dozen at a time, scattered far apart, 

 high in the air, moving in graceful 

 but erratic flight. Noiselessly they 

 come but soon from one of the distant 

 birds will be heard a sharp, rasping 

 note like that made by a woodcock 

 as it ascends into the air during the 

 peculiar spiral flight of its twilight per- 

 formance, which is familiar to many 

 country boys. The note of the night- 

 hawk is likely to be repeated three or 

 four times at short intervals. Then 

 will come another period of silence, 

 when again a series of the rasping 



