THE MUSEUM. 



109 



Unio plicatus. 

 " pustulatus. 

 pustulosus. 

 rectus. 

 " rubiginosus. 

 " solidus. 

 " trigonus. 



tuberculatus. 

 " undulatus. 

 " verrucosus. 

 Margaritana complanata. 

 " confragosus, 



" hildrethiana. 



" marginata. 



rugosa. 

 Anodonta decora, 

 edentula. 

 ■' ferussaciana. 



" fragilis. 



grandis. 

 imbecillis. 

 " plana. 



A New Classification. 



At times, we have all had a sort of 

 sneaking idea that our present system 

 of classification is all wrong. This 

 feeling is especially strong just after a 

 conversation with one of that large 

 class which politicians tell us is the 

 support of the government, the reser- 

 voir from which all our physical, moral 

 and political strength flows — the farm- 

 ing community. 



The farmer is the one to settle the 

 question. He is the one that lives 

 among nature's children. He lives, 

 labors and dies with the voice of na- 

 ture ringing in his ears, until it per- 

 meates his whole being. What right 

 have we who live cooped up within a 

 narrow city's walls, getting out in the 

 open country only at stated intervals 

 to lift our voice against those who 



spend their life surrounded with such 

 influences.'' 



Accordingly, I submit the following 

 improved classification which contin- 

 ued contemplation, combined with the 

 natural poetry of his disposition, has 

 implanted within the breast of nature's 

 born naturalist — the farmer. You will 

 notice the simplicity of it all. It does 

 away with many species which you see 

 are quite unnecessary. 



A bird, if it is small and plainly col- 

 ored is a ''sparrow.'' If it has any 

 red on it, it is a ''fire bird." If it 

 has yellow on it is a "ivild canary." 



A large bird if it has a hooked bill is 

 either a "Iiaivk" or an "owl." There 

 are two kinds of both these birds. 

 Large hawks are "hen haiuks" * and 

 small ones "chicken liaivks." The 

 same way large owls are "cat oivls" 

 and small ones "screech owls" 



If a bird has webbed feet it is a 

 "duck." If it has long legs and neck 

 it is either a "crane," sliite-pook" or 

 "snipe" the size determining — a crane 

 standing about six feet tall. 



A small bird, dark colored is a 

 "blackbird ;" a large one a "eroiv." 



If a bird cannot be referred to any 

 of these species it is a cross between 

 some two. Another important point 

 is that a bird seen yesterday is "four 

 times as large as that one there." 



This system, though new to science, 

 has been known in a fragmentary way 

 to most of us. It has been a well 

 guarded secret and it was only by dint 

 of an untiring perseverance that I have 

 been able to get the whole system. 

 What has made the task more difficult 

 has been the fact that there is no liter- 



* A hen hawk flying over is an "eagle" and 

 a chicken hawk in the same position is a "hen 

 hawk." 



