FIRST GRADE SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHERS 27 



the nature, number, and care of its young; its disposition, 

 habits, etc. 



Teacher. My younger brother, James, who attends 

 school here in the sixth grade, has a fine, large, black cat 

 at home. It is covered all over with what ? 



Pupil. A thick, soft fur. 



Teacher. What is this thick fur for? 



Pupil. To keep the cat warm in cold weather. 



Teacher. Have you ever noticed if a cat's fur is thicker 

 at one time of the year than at another? 



Pupil. Yes : it is thicker in winter than in summer. 



Teacher. Yes, in the spring time if we stroke the cat 

 on the back, many hairs will come out and get on our cloth- 

 ing. We say pussy is shedding her coat. James thinks a 

 great deal of his cat and feeds her with what ? 



Pupil. Meat. 



Teacher. Yes ; the cat never eats hay or grass, as the 

 cow does, nor grain, as the chickens do. She prefers meat. 

 James keeps his^cat for a pet and calls her Tabby, but 

 mother is very glad to have a cat about the house for another 

 reason. Can any one tell me for what reason? 



Pupil. To catch mice. 



Teacher. What harm do mice do ? 



Pupil. They eat bread, cheese, pie, cake, or whatever 

 food they can find. 



Teacher. They sometimes gnaw books and papers ; 

 and they once ate a great hole in my silk dress that was 

 put away in the closet. I suppose they were getting soft 

 materials with which to line their nests. 



One evening when we had been cleaning house and things 

 were all out of order, I was at work in the bedroom when 

 I heard a rustling in the closet. Tabby was near me and 



