inal MECHANICAL AIDS IN SATIRE-STUDY 67 



these common mistakes. Having once attained a certain standard 

 the pupil is then ready to show originality with a just pride. 



Specific Aids 

 i. Birds. 



a. The mounted specimen is perhaps one of the first class-room 

 aids that one thinks of in bird-study. There are many accessory 

 objects that may be used. For instance, besides a series of 

 mounted woodpeckers we have : a portion of a dead limb split to 

 show where the grub entered the tree and the hole made by the 

 woodpecker when obtaining his breakfast ; an old portion of a trunk 

 to show the abandoned home of the downy woodpecker; a section 

 of the trunk of a white birch to show the drillings of the sap- 

 sucker; a piece of wood in which the California woodpecker stored 

 some acorns. By exchanging with a school in Maine we expect to 

 obtain specimens to show the work of the pileated woodpecker, etc. 

 These are the tools for a live lesson on woodpeckers. 



b. Audubon Charts. Realizing the risk of breaking two funda- 

 mental laws in teaching nature-study, one to study nature afield 

 and the other to avoid drill, I believe that a great deal can be 

 obtained from quick, brief drills with these charts. Besides 

 pointing to the birds for the class to name in unison the teacher 

 ma}- take a book and cover up individual birds and have members 

 of the class describe them. Try the common ones, as — the robin. 

 What is the color of his breast ? Where is there white on him etc? 

 This will bring out surprising results for both the teacher and the 

 pupil. Have a pupil face the back of the room and describe the 

 goldfinch. 



c. Outlines of the birds made on the hectograph may be colored 

 with crayons. All the sparrows might be drawn on one sheet. 

 Outlines of the birds may also be made by tracing around card- 

 board patterns. 



d. Field-work. Besides the contour map the pupil finds it 

 interesting to have a list of the common birds of the vicinity and 

 check off what he saw or heard on the trip. These records are 

 placed on file for comparison with other records. 



2. Fish. The way a fish rises and sinks in the water is well 

 illustrated by the Cartesian Diver which is explained in any 

 Physic's text-book. 



