Nature- study and Humaneness 



Guy a. Bailey 



Professor of Biology and Nature-Study, State Normal School, Geneseo, N. Y. 



What may one naturally expect of a boy or girl after having 

 followed an average course in Nature-Study for eight years? 

 This means a course where some time is devoted to the subject 

 either directly under the name nature-study or in connection with 

 other subjects like geography and in general topics that may be 

 discussed in connection with boy scout's work, bird clubs and the 

 like. 



It seems to me that so far as the pupil's study of mammals 

 is concerned that there are certain facts that should be studied 

 and certain points of view that should be emphasized. The 

 point of view is more important to society in my judgment than 

 the facts studied. 



Among the facts that he should have in mind are the general 

 adaptive features of mammals, such as the feet and teeth of 

 squirrels, the tail of the muskrat, the feet of the mole together 

 with the small eyes, etc. — how these structures are serviceable 

 to the animal? Of course the animals to be studied are those 

 that the boy or girl knows about. In some cases domestic animals 

 may be the only ones available and those will do just as well as 

 long as the adaptation of parts is kept in mind. 



The facts about how the young are cared for and where they 

 are cared for. For example if foxes are familiar, where they care 

 for the young and what time of 3^ear the young are born. Where 

 the young squiiTcls are kept by the parents and how many litters 

 they produce in a season, how many in a litter? Where do the 

 rabbits keep their young and how many in a litter? How many 

 litters may they produce in a year and in what months are they 

 born? Information may come from those who know of the 

 domesticated rabbits as well as the \\nld ones. In general facts 

 about the hfe history of such animals as come under their observa- 

 tion whether domestic or wild. 



For a third class of facts I would recommend .those that have 

 to do with the animals behavior towards our northern winter. 

 As we know some hibernate. What ones hibernate and where 

 do they hibernate and for how long?' Can you show how the ani- 

 mal would fail if he attempted to survive our winter season b}' 



90 



