FIRST GRADE FALL WORK 51 



Compare separately, the roots, stems, and leaves of the 

 flag, cat-tail, bulrush, water cress, etc., with corresponding 

 parts of sagebrush, greasewood, bunch grass, sunflower, 

 cockle-bur, or whatever dry-land plants grow in the vicinity. 

 Note how large, plump, succulent, and watery are the first, 

 and how dry, tough, slender, and fuzzy are the latter. 

 Account for each of these peculiarities in the terms of 

 their water relations. 



NOTE. Plants in arid places need longer roots to reach the water. 

 Since evaporation takes place chiefly in the leaves, they will have fewer 

 and smaller leaves, often covered with protecting fuzz. Their stems 

 and branches are dry, slender, and tough. In all these particulars the 

 water plants are quite the opposite, to correspond with their difference 

 of condition. 



Show the pupils unfamiliar specimens, and let them deter- 

 mine if they are swamp plants or desert plants from their 

 general structure. 



Experiment with the growing plants, by giving some too 

 much and some too little water. 



LESSON XXI 

 THE HOUSE FLY 



What do the house flies like to eat ? How do they eat it ? 

 Describe the mouth of the fly. How many legs has the fly ? 

 Why is it so hard to catch? Examine its eyes: how large 

 they are ! Look at them through a large lens. A fly can 

 see in all directions at once, for it has so many little eyes. 



How do we get rid of the flies ? Discuss the use and danger 

 of poisonous fly paper : uses of sticky paper ; of screen doors 

 and windows. 



