8 OUR METHODS IN GENERAL. 



It should be clearly understood that this is really a 

 calendar which is to be filled in month by month, and is 

 not a scheme to be drawn up a year beforehand. Much 

 profitable discussion may be got with the pupils over the 

 questions of appropriate illustrations for each period of 

 the year. 



This calendar should be drawn up upon a large sheet of 

 cardboard to hang in the schoolroom ; the making of the 

 illustrations will in most instances fall to the teacher, but 

 in the central space small books should be attached in 

 which are written down the observations of the pupils on 

 their way to and from school or at other times. It is quite 

 likely that this portion of the calendar will require some 

 editing on the part of the teacher, if for no other reason 

 than that of training the pupils to distinguish between 

 the trivial and the significant. The following are ex- 

 tracts taken from the observations of pupils in the north 

 of Scotland and recorded in a calendar such as is here 

 described : 



1909. 



March 1-20. Heavy snowstorm. Birds coming to school door to 

 be fed. Fieldfares, Thrushes, Blackbirds, Robins, 

 Sparrows, Starlings noted. 

 21. Heard Larks singing. 

 22. Worms coming to surface of ground. 

 April 1. Lilac leaf-buds bursting. Snow on " Tap o' Noth." 

 5. Primroses in flower. 

 6. House-fly and hive-bee seen. 

 7. Insects becoming common. 

 15. " Pee- wits" nest, 3 eggs, found by J. McK. 

 19. Swallows seen. 

 27. Worms numerous after rain, 216 counted by M. G. on 



school path. Plane tree and lilac buds unfolded. 

 May 9. Cuckoo heard in woods (A. L.). 



10. Oats sprouted in field near school. Butterflies seen. 



15. Snow ! 



18. Robin's nest in hedge, 6 young birds (A. L.). 



20. Lime trees in leaf. 



24. Elm fruit falling thickly. 



