I20 NATURE STUDY. 



The sun-fish or ' ' pumpkin-seed, ' ' that every boy knows so 

 well, makes a round, hollow nest in the sand, and hovers 

 over it, watching and ready to fight to keep other fishes 

 away. Its eyes are on the sides of its head, and it turjis 

 frequently while on the watch. No enemy can come near 

 unobserved. 



The pickerel catches other fish, frogs, and sometimes 

 even a bird. Watch it as it lies among the lily-pads, or 

 study one that has been caught, and notice that its eyes 

 are on the top and in front of its head. 



Almost every boy and girl, nowadays, knows the tiger- 

 beetles and the ground-beetles. These live by eating other 

 insects. Where are their eyes ? Notice a grasshopper. 

 Where are its eyes ? Is it easy to catch a grasshopper ? 

 Notice that the eyes of butterflies and moths are on the sides 

 of the head and that most of them fly with a zigzag motion, 



Now, then, we have observed beasts, birds, fishes 

 and insects, and have compared them among them- 

 selves. We have found that in each class some have 

 the eyes in front, while others have them at the sides, of 

 the head. By observation and comparison we have reached 

 an inference which we are sure is correct, and we may 

 safely formulate a general law, as the scientists say, which 

 is that among beasts, birds, fishes and insects those crea- 

 tures that hunt have the e3^es placed in front of the head, 

 while those that are hunted have the ej'es placed at the 

 sides of the head. 



This lesson, then, is an illustration of the possibilities of 

 nature study in the development of the faculties of obser- 

 vation, comparison and inference — a davelopment of so 

 great importance to the child that sooner or later nature 

 study will be universally recognized as an essential factor 

 in any system of education. « 



