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to call "nature study" into the schocjls. We in America have dropped be- 

 hind so far in this respect in comparison with all other countries that we 

 are beyinnint^- to be in earnest, and whenever an American is in earnest he 

 moves, and moves rapidly. We have taken up Nature Study as a branch 

 of instruction in our schools. Birds appeal to most people more strongly 

 than do other thing's in nature. There seems to be a spot in our makeup 

 which is stirred to life whenever birds and bird habits are spoken of. This 

 being true there is certainly a chance for the revival of interest in nature, 

 if we can bring out the matter of birds and bird study in our schools. Be- 

 sides reviving an interest in nature study I believe we will soon create a 

 sentiment all over the state in favor of the protection of birds. This fact 

 was brought to my notice most forcibly while in South America a couple 

 of years ago. I went out to hire someone to assist me in collecting speci- 

 mens for the University' of Nebraska. There seemed to be only one person 

 available at the time — a Swiss boy about twenty or twenty-one years of 

 age. He was the only one apparently in that reg^ion who did not try to 

 kill every bird that came in sight. In speaking to him concerning this 

 trait he said that at home they were taught better than to kill birds. He 

 came to South America when nine j^ears old. I have heard since that ev- 

 erybody in Switzerland is taught to respect bird life. This reminds me 

 that we have a paper on the program by one of our members, a Dane, who 

 makes a plea for the English Sparrow. Now here in this ornithological 

 union, I believe there are comparatively few friends of the House Sparrow, 

 but this man is an exception. He was raised in a country where the good 

 people feed their birds during winter. In Germany they do likewise. I^et 

 us take a hint from these nations and take care of our birds too. 



Let me now thank you for this honor of being able to make the first 

 official talk to the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union. 



A TWENTY-THREE YEARS' RECORD KEPT BY DR. A. E. CHILD 

 OF PLATTSMOUTH, NEB. 



DK. R. H. WOLCOTT. 



Dr. A. L. Child was barn in Rochester, Vt., in August, 1810, and was 

 largely self-educated, though graduated from the Randolph, Vt. Grammar 

 School in 1830. He einigrated to the West in 1833, studied medicine at Cin- 

 cinnati, O., and practiced his profession for six years; engaged in teach- 

 ing in different places in Ohio for eight years; and then travelled 

 during the following four years. In April, 1857, he removed to Cass Co., 

 Neb., and went to farming at Glendale. In the fall of 1869, being elected 

 Probate or County Judge, he removed to Plattsmouth, where he resided 

 till 1883, when, we are informed, he removed to Kansas City, Mo. He is 

 now deceased. 



He was not a scientific man, according to the ordinary meaning of the 

 term, but was evidently a lover of nature and a close observer of natural 

 phenomena. He was in correspondence, at first with the Smithsonian In- 

 stitution and later with the U. S. Sigmal Service, and kept a ver\' full me- 



