394 Bird - Lore 



ting with the teachers, not only by giving talks in the school-room, but also by 

 reading the compositions written by the children on birds, and selecting the best 

 three for special mention at the close of the year. That efforts of this kind are 

 appreciated by the children as well as by their teacher is shown in their own 



words: "My dear Miss M. : I am sending you the best of the collection 



of compositions I received. I haven't corrected their mistakes, so please be a 

 little charitable in your judgment. We have very little real composition work 

 in this grade, as you know, the pupils are only eleven or twelve years, and 

 little C — M — whose paper you'll run across is only nine ; still, I think they did 

 very well, for it wasn't a prepared subject, and is information they picked up 

 through the interest you have aroused, rather than any they searched for in 

 books just for this occasion. 



"They seem quite anxious that you should see the compositions. I know 

 it is asking a good deal of you, but I know you are interested in seeing the fruit 

 of your labors. Thanking you so much for all you have done for my class this 

 year, for I appreciate it deeply, I am etc., A — F — ." 



"My dear Miss M — : I thank you very much for the little speech you gave 

 our class about 'Birds.' I enjoyed it so much, and will try to do as you told us. 

 I have heard a great deal about birds lately and hope to hear more. I am sure 

 that all the class would enjoy it so much if you would come again and give us 

 another speech. Yours sincerely, B — J — ." 



Admirable as all of this work is, a step higher is evidenced by a unique 

 organization planned and carried out by five sisters, in a city where available 

 nature is mostly confined to a small park and streets. The following descrip- 

 tion of this club is written by one of its members, who is attending high school. 

 Only those who are intimately acquainted with the circumstances leading to 

 the formation of the 'Mother Nature Club' can appreciate thoroughly the 

 inspiration and enthusiasm behind it. Rarely does such an instance of spon- 

 taneous love of nature come from the country. It is doubly suggestive of the 

 innate craving for knowledge of the world about us, coming as it does from 

 the city. 



HISTORY OF THE M N C. (MOTHER NATURE CLUB) 



"In September, 19 13, 1 began to take biology in Central High School. One 

 Saturday, Myrtle, Mildred and I were walking in the Asylum yard. We decided 

 that we would like to study the trees and flowers and birds that we were seeing. 

 To do this we formed a 'club' and that day we held our first meeting and 

 decided upon a name for the club. This name is Mother Nature Club. The 

 club has just as many and no more members now as it had on that day, Sept. 

 27, 1913, and they are all sisters. 



"In January, 1914, we had our rules written. There is to be a President, 

 also a Secretary and a Treasurer or Vice-President. Yesterday, in fact, at a 

 business meeting we decided President and Secretary should be the same one. 



