The Bird Work in the Ethical Culture School 

 of New York City 



Myrtle Bascom Boice 

 Teacher in Nature- Study 



Bird Study in the Ethical Culture School is a very important 

 part of the nature-study work. Excursions to Central Park give 

 the pupils opportunity to observe the common wincer and summer 

 residents, as well as the migrants. In the class room the scudy 

 is made more effective by the use of colored pictures, stuffed speci- 

 mens, and slides, the latter loaned by the American Museum of 

 Natural History from their splendid collection. 



Classes are taken to the Museum, where the birds not found in 

 the Park are studied in their natural habitats. Some of the 

 children spend week-ends in the country during the fall and spring 

 months, and do independent bird work. These obser\^ations are 

 reporced to the classes of which they are members. 



In the primary grades the common birds are idencified, the calls 

 and songs learned, their food and nesting habits observed and 

 discussed. This is made possible by visiting the bird feeding 

 stations in the Park in the winter, and wacching the migrant birds 

 when they return in the spring. The chickadee, starling, and 



202 



