SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHER AND PUPILS 151 



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"To a Waterfowl": Learn by heart the whole beautiful 

 poem. Bryant was born November 3d, 1794, in Cummington, 

 Mass., died June 12th, 1878, in New York City. Learn also 

 his other delightful bird poem "Robert of Lincoln." "To a 

 Waterfowl" was perhaps written at the sight of a wild duck 

 flying over ; it serves as well for the wild geese. 



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"Vainly the fowler's eye," that is the hunter's eye, "might 

 mark thy flight to do thee wrong." On March 4, 1913, Con- 

 gress passed a law protecting all wild geese, swans, ducks, 

 snipe, and other migratory birds, giving the Department of 

 Agriculture at Washington power to fix seasons over all the 

 country when these birds cannot be killed. It is one of the 

 greatest laws ever passed for bird protection. 



CHAPTER IV 



THE WOOD-PUSSY 



"Wood-pussy" is a polite "society" name for the skunk. 

 The skunk is found pretty generally all over North America, 

 and is especially abundant near great cities and towns. It is 

 about the size of a big heavy cat, jet black with a V-shaped 

 white stripe dividing from the back of the head down over the 

 sides to its haunches. It has a large black and white tail. Its 

 fur is valuable; the boys about my home get two or three dol- 

 lars a skin for the best ones. They are tanned, dyed and re- 

 named Alaska Sable. But this is a useful animal, especially 

 to the farmer, and must be protected against the fur hunter. 

 1,310,185 skunk skins were sold in London in 1911 by one fur 

 house. Five years more of this fearful slaughter and the 

 skunk will be exterminated. Spare him ! 



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Casco Bay is on the coast of Maine. Where? 



