of natui'al liistoi'v s])cciiiiciis for circu- 

 lation in the piihiK- schools of New 

 York. The ])ur])osc of these collections 

 was to ])lacc in the hands of the teach- 

 ers the niati'rial that was needed to 

 present properly the subject of iiaturt 

 study. 



Each collection is accompanied by a 

 leaflet ,e;i\'infi" facts on the strtictiu-e, 

 habits and characteristics of tlie i)ar- 

 ticular species in the collection. These 

 notes are necessarily brief and are in- 

 tended chiefly as suggestions to teachers. 

 A bibliography of the subjects treated is 

 appended to each set of notes. 



F'roni small beginnings this work 

 has grown until to-day nearly four hun- 

 dred schools, some of which are twenty- 

 five miles from the Museum, are receiv- 

 ing the collections regularly. At the 

 present time the circulating collections 

 that are availal)le for loan to schools 

 and the grades to which each is adapted 

 are as follows: 



Schools to vi.sit 

 at the Museum 



a spiciul ixhil)it 



Native Birds. Adapted for Grades 1 A—4B 



Owl Set — Containing owl. chickadee, nuthatch, .song .sparrow, kinglet 



Blue Jay Set — Containing blue jay, woodpecker, crossbill, junco. English sparrow 



Robin Set — Containing robin, red-winged blackbird, oriole, meadow-lark, cliipping 



sparrow 

 Bluebird Set — (\)ntaining hlucl)ird, pha'be, barn swallow, house wren, chimney 



swift 

 Tanager Set — Containing scarlet tunager, red-eyed vireo, goldl'mch. Iiumming- 

 bird, pigeon 

 Insects. Adapted for Grades .^.1— .5.1 



Containing cynthia and cccropia moths, monarch l)uttertly, etc.. and typical repre- 

 sentatives of the different groups of insects 

 Special Insects. Adapted for Grades .2A-oA 



Containing Ufe history of cecropia moth, development of nionarcli huiterfly. life 

 and work of honey-bee and household insects 

 Mollusks. Adapted for Grades 4A-5A 



Containing shells of about twenty-five mollusks, including si)ecimens of the oyster 

 clam and chambered nautilus 



243 



