AGKICULTURAL EDUCATION. 891 



elementary a.u'riculture on such topics as soils, soils and water, soil and the 

 plant root, and fundamentals of plant physioloj^y. This work is supplemented 

 by excursions in the field and the study of the great agricultural Industries 

 correlated with United States history. In the eighth grade laboratory and 

 text-book work in human physiology takes the place of similar work in agri- 

 culture, but the garden work, with varieties of plants for the purpose of showing 

 I)lant improvement, seed selection, crop rotation, green manui'es, and soil inocu- 

 lation, is continued. 



The outline includes numerous references to text-books and other literature 

 germane to the topic under consideration. 



Practical nature study, F. M P.rooks (W. Va. School Jour., 35 (1!)07), iSlo. 

 II). jip. !>. 111). — A (lescrii)tion of tlie shrew, its liabits, and economic importance. 



Direct methods of studying nature, Lilian ,1. Clakke (Nature-Study Rev., 

 2 {1906), Ao. .';, ui). SO. i-.ni)).— 'i:\nii article, reprinted from The Windsor Maga- 

 zine, is a description of the nature-study work at the James Allen's Girls' 

 School, Dulwich, England. This is an endowed secondary school, and the girls 

 in it are not being trained for an.y particular profession. 



School garden work has been carried on for man.v years and has developed 

 to an area containing plats owned by more tlian 140 girls. Some of these are 

 plats ctmtaining families of plants, otliers are flower gardens, vegetable gardens, 

 gardens showing plant associations, etc. There is also a plant laboratory with 

 glass roof. The students do the practical work in the gardens, and study the 

 relation of insects to pollination and fruiting, the classification of plants, which 

 is greatl.\- facilitated by the plats containing orders or families of plants, 

 cookery in connection with the growing of kitchen vegetables, soils and the use 

 of legumes and fertilizers, fruits, methods of seed dispersal, ecology, and other 

 things relating to the physiology and patholog.v of plants 



Hints on making nature collections in high schools, W. H. Muldrew {On- 

 tario Affr. Col. and Expt. Farm Btd. IS.'i, pp. 32, figs. 20). — This bulletin is in its 

 second edition, having been I'evised by S. B. McCready, of the Macdonald In- 

 stitute. It contains an oiitline for nature-study work in public schools, sug- 

 gestions for phenological observations, for making live collections, collections 

 of pressed ])lants, setMls, fruits, wood, insects, historical specimens, etc. 



Nature-study work with insects, C. F. Hodge {Nature-Study Rev., 2 {1906), 

 No. 8, pp. 265-270, figs. 2). — Suggestions for nature-study life history work with 

 insects and a descrii)tion of suitable cases for preserving life histor.y sets. 



Nature studies with birds for the elementary school, R. W. Hegneb {El. 

 School Teacher, 7 ( 1907), No. 6, pp. 3.'i8-354). — The sub.iect of bird protection is 

 cotisidered, together with reasons for the absence of birds and how to attract 

 birds. A bibliogr;ii)hy is ai)])ended. 



A day's work in bird-land, KdxNA K. Thayer (Nature-Study Rev., 2 (1906), 

 No. 9, pp. 289-295). — This is a record of observations on the feeding habits of 

 birds conducted under the direction of C. F. Hodge, of Clark University, by 

 students at the biological station at the University of Indiana at Winona Lake, 

 in July, 190G. Relays of students placed them.selves in position to observe con- 

 stantly from daylight to dark of one day the nests of an orchard oriole, a pewee, 

 a phoebe, and a w-ren. 



In the nest of the orchard oriole were two ,voung birds which during the 15 

 hours and 17 minutes of observation were fed (>!) times, r> times only by the male 

 bird. The food consisted principj*lly of locusts and green caterpillars. 



The pewee's nest contained 2 eggs, so the food collected by the female was 

 for herself. During the day she caught 208 insects, and spent a total of 5 

 hours and 35 minutes in incubation, the average length of resting on the nest 



