224 



Bird - Lore 



THE "AUDUBON CORNER" OF A RALEIGH SCHOOL-ROOM 



LETTERS FROM JUNIOR CLASSES 



From the Prize-Winning Club 



The first prize for a class photograph 

 was awarded to the Junior Class of 

 Albany, Indiana, and is reproduced on 

 page 220. The leader of this fine class is 

 Miss Edna Stafford, who sketches its 

 origin and progress in the pleasant para- 

 graphs quoted below: 



"One day last summer a twelve-year- 

 old boy was out on our street with an 

 air-gun, thoughtlessly shooting at every 

 bird he could see. Recently the same boy 

 came to me with a bird which had been 

 hurt, and in the most sympathetic tones 

 said: 'Who do you suppose could have 

 been so cruel as to hurt this dear little 

 bird? What can we do for it?' 



"Our study of birds in the Junior 

 Audubon Society brought about this 

 change in the boy. It has greatly inter- 

 ested the boys and girls, especially in 

 respect to the protection of the birds. 

 The boys are out very early each morning, 

 watching and following the birds. 



"We spend one hour each week in 



studying birds. Each one in the class is 

 making a bird note-book. Our first lesson 

 was a study on the life of John James 

 Audubon. We next made a list of the 

 birds that remained with us during the 

 winter, noting their food and what we 

 could do to help them. We then studied 

 the usefulness of birds, and made a study 

 of the ways by which we might attract 

 the most useful to our homes. Of course, 

 the building of bird-boxes came next. 

 We were getting ready to receive our 

 summer guests. It was requested that 

 our bird-boxes should be in our picture, so 

 I spoke of it to the class; but to my sur- 

 prise the boys refused, although they 

 had been so proud of them. But listen to 

 their reasons. The boxes had already 

 been put up, and some said, 'Oh we can- 

 not take our boxes down, for the birds 

 have begun to build in them,' while others 

 said, 'I am sure the birds have our boxes 

 placed, and it would never do to take 

 them down.' 



"But they were willing to build more. 



"So in our picture you see them at 

 work: and there can be no doubt that they 

 are enjoying it." 



