208 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [11:4— Apr, 1915 



water the seta will untwist so fast as almost to make you dizzy. 

 I once soaked up some plants in order to try to photograph them 

 plump and full, but during the rather long exposure the setae 

 twisted so that I got only a blur where the capsule should have 

 been. 



This twisting of the seta in drying occurs in most mosses and is 

 probably a device to help scatter spores. 



Funaria has a lid like Physcomitrium but it is to one side of the 

 queer bent capsule and when it comes off there lies underneath a 

 very tiny fringe of two rows of teeth sixteen in each row. The 

 teeth of the outer row are beautifully figured and colored and one 

 should examine them under the compound microscope, if possible. 



These two rows of teeth form a sort of sieve which keeps the 

 spores from all dropping out at once from the downward turned 

 mouth of the capsule. When dry and empty the capsules wrinkle 

 and twist in curious and interesting shapes. 



We have another fairly common species of Funaria (F. flavicans 

 Mx.) distinguished to the eye chiefly by the differences in the 

 capsules shown in the cut. 



Bird Study in the Grades 



Emelyn Clark 



Mendota, III. 



Since the economic importance of birds is coming to be under- 

 stood we realize that the study of birds and their protection is a 

 necessity in both town and country. Of all methods of bird study 

 the one which yields the quickest and most lasting results is one 

 which puts children to work doing something. 



Whether boys care for birds or not they like to hammer and saw, 

 tear things to pieces and put them together another way. Feeding 

 shelves, bird shelters, and bird houses are suitable subjects for such 

 activities. Both boys and girls enjoy making bird houses. Quite 

 aside from the value to the birds, the pleasure the children take in 

 making plans, their zest in the competition for utility — and here 

 is a fine place to invite competition — their delight in seeing each 

 house completed and chosen by some pair of wrens or bluebirds as 



