CHAPTER XVII. 



Birds and Insects. 



"Nature study is learning those things in nature which are best worth 

 knowing, to the end of doing those things that make life most worth 

 living." Hodge. 



THE CHILD'S INTEREST IN NATURE. 



A careful analysis of information gained by studying the 

 nature of the questions asked by children of n to 12 years of 

 age, who wrote to the nature and science deartment of certain 

 publications, has revealed the facts as graphically represented 

 in the following table : 



Animals. 



Plants. 



Physical 

 Material. 



D 



Miscellany 



This graph of children's interests show that the percentage 

 of interest in nature is distributed about as follows : 



Animals About 60 per cent. 



Plant Material " 20 " " 



Physical Material " 10 " " 



Miscellany " 10 " " 



While it is no doubt true) that no two tabulations for the 

 determination of the child's interests and inclinations might be 

 alike when taken in different parts of the country, yet it is very 

 evident that animals surpass all other departments of Natural 

 Science in attractiveness for children. 



