i66 NATURE STUDY BY GRADES 



THIRD GRADE SPRING WORK 

 LESSON XXXIX 



FOOD AREAS OF OUR NATIVE BIRDS 



To teach some of the wonderful ways in which animals are 

 adapted to subsist under all kinds of conditions, a study of 

 our native birds in respect to their various food areas will 

 prove very interesting. For this purpose it will be conven- 

 ient to group the birds according to the geographical areas 

 that they occupy, since surface conditions influence so greatly 

 their food supply and methods of obtaining it. 



These food zones, extending from the shores of the ocean 

 or of the Lakes to the crest of the Rocky Mountains, may 

 afford us the basis for making the following groupings of 

 birds, which should be worked out by the class : 



1. Water Birds , as the seagull, pelican, duck, goose, etc. 



2. Marsh Birds, as the heron, crane, snipe, killdeer, wood- 

 cock, etc. 



3. Lowland Birds, as the meadow lark, blackbird, robin, 

 woodpecker, kingfisher, etc. 



4. Highland Birds, as the sage hen, quail, bluebird, 

 grouse, owl, etc. 



5. Mountain Birds, as the eagle, hawk, pine hen, magpie, 

 crossbill, etc. 



While few, if any, of these birds are strictly confined to the 

 areas which may be assigned them, this method of grouping 

 them will prove convenient and instructive. 



To illustrate the work, induce the pupils to bring from 

 their homes, or from the game market, samples of feathers, 

 eggs, nests, heads, and feet of birds studied. Both teachers 



