THE TEACHER'S CORNER 123 



it safe from molestation. Its fiir is very valuable. Its bushy 

 tail helps to keep it warm in winter and, as Mr. Knight shows, 

 helps to defend it from the bumblebees. (2) The head is triangular 

 and sharply pointed at the nose. The eyes are not very keen. 

 (3) The front legs are much shorter than the hind legs and are 

 armed with sharp claws for digging both for food and in making a 

 burrow. Although it holds its food fast in its front paws it never 

 uses them to Hft the food to its mouth as does the squirrel. (4) Its 

 food consists largely of grasshoppers, white grubs, mice, moles 

 and insects. On the whole it is beneficial to the farmer. The 

 only harm it does is to raid the hen-house occasionally and to 

 destroy the nests of beneficial birds that build on the ground, 

 and to destroy bumblebees that are of great importance to the 

 clover crop, the pumpkin, the squash, and many valuable plants. 

 (5) The skunk's home is in a burrow which it may make for Itself 

 or steal from a woodchuck. It also makes its nest in protected 

 places sometimes under barns. The young are born in May 

 in an enlarged portion of the burrow where a nice bed of grass 

 has been placed by the mother for their comfort. (6) Skunks 

 get fat in the fall and sleep during the winter. 



THE GOAT 



It is to be hoped that in the neighborhood some child has a pet 

 goat that may be used for observation. The following points 

 should be brought out. (i) Goats are among our most interesting 

 domesticated animals and have played an important part in the 

 history of mankind. (2) The goat is fitted to climb high and 

 dangerous places; it is very agile and quite able to get its food 

 on high mountains where vegetation is scarce. (3) The covering 

 is of hair which is a great protection in the cold heights of moun- 

 tains; the male has>a beard or goatee. The hair of the Angora 

 goat is used in making mohair goods. (4) The teeth consist of 

 six molars on each side of the jaw. There are eight lower incisors 

 below and none above. The teeth are especially fitted for brows- 

 ing. (5) The goat's sense of smell is very acute and so is its sense 

 of hearing. The eyes are full and intelligent. (6) The horns are 

 somewhat flattened and knobby in front and curled backward; 

 they are very efficient weapons of offense and defense. (7) The 

 legs are strong and fitted for running and leaping. The hoof is 

 cloven, that is, the goat walks on two toe nails. There are two 



