mm NATURE-STUDY AND HUMANENESS 91 



remaining active? For example what would happen to a wood- 

 dtuck if he attempted to get food when the snow was on the 

 ground? What food would be available? Several questions to 

 bring out the point that what the animal lias done is the best for 

 that particular animal. Chipmunks, and some kinds of bats 

 hibernate also. 



Grey squirrels have been known to migrate from one region 

 where food was scarce to regions where it was plentiful, even 

 swimming lakes and rivers. Few of our mammals are able to 

 migrate like the birds when the food supply becomes reduced. 

 Some animals like the weasel, mink and fox are active all winter. 

 The weasel having white fur in winter and brown fur in summer. 

 How does this give the weasel an advantage for survival ? Skunks 

 are dormant for short periods. What advantage is even a short 

 period of hibernation to the skunk? In general a study of local 

 animals to the end that pupils may know where they are and what 

 they do during the winter season. 



For a fourth class of facts to be considered I would prefer the 

 study of the economic side of the mammals. Form personal 

 observations and reliable authority classify the mammals into 

 helpful and harmful groups. 



Some care and considerable study is needed before an intelligent 

 classification can be made. The food of the animal for a year — 

 month by month — is necessary before we are sure where they 

 belong. The fact that an animal eats small chickens at rare 

 intervals need not be proof that the animal is harmful. For 

 example the skunk does this rarely. But the most of the food of 

 the skunk is insects and mice. If one skunk eats chickens it is 

 by no means true that all do. If one skunk is guilty it does not 

 mean that the skunk family should be put down as harmful. 

 The whole total of the work of skunks is beneficial rather than 

 harmful. Some care should be exercised in forming opinions 

 either in favor of the animal or against it. 



Then there is the esthetic side of animal study. It is the side 

 that has no debit or credit. It is far removed from the "cash and 

 comfort" side of our nature. Why is it that in some communities 

 there may be seen squirrels in the tree tops and the parks ? Boys 

 and girls, men and women carry peanuts to feed the grey squirrels. 

 People stop to watch them eat the nut or carry it away to be stored 

 elsehwere. Why do people do that? What is the point of view 



