56 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW |15:2— Feb., 1919 



to that in which the stuffed specimens were studied. Lantern 

 sHde tests of the student's abiHty to recognize birds quickly are 

 recommended by Dr. Strong. Carefully colored and numbered 

 slides are shown for two or three minutes at a time and the student 

 is asked to write down the name of the bird and the characteristics 

 used in its identification. After about twenty slides are shown, 

 they are reshown, the instructor naming each specimen and its 

 distinguishing characteristics. Where lantern slides are not 

 available, colored pictures might be substituted in a similar way. 

 The object of this laboratory work is to fit the student for rapid, 

 intelligent field work. 



The early morning hours worked a hardship on quite a number 

 of the feminine members of the class. I think hereafter, we will 

 give the work from 8-10. 



A mistake was also made in having students copy field notes 

 onto cards. It is always a mistake to have students do unneces- 

 sary work. Furthermore, we do not have students copy botany 

 notebooks or chemistry experiments over at their rooms because 

 we want the original impressions and thoughts of the student and 

 not something that he may have acquired after leaving the labora- 

 tory. We want only what he has found out, not what he has read 

 that someone else has discovered. 



The scheme for field work as outlined at the beginning of this 

 paper is admirable but would be improved by adding to the printed 

 scheme a small outline picture of a bird on which the student could 

 indicate in writing color markings and other characteristics. 



But not all of the field work should be spent in identification, 

 part should be given to a study of habits, especially feeding habits 

 during the nesting season. Very valuable relay observations may 

 be made of the habits of a pair during a single day. Two students 

 should watch the nest during the first hour in the morning, then 

 they should be relieved by two others, and so on at intervals of an 

 hour throughout the day. Notes should be taken on: 



(a) Time of feeding of young. 



(b) Whether fed by male or female. 



(c) Kind and amount of food fed when possible to determine. 



(d) Where procured, if under observation. 



(e) Times parents feed themselves. 



(f) Times waste material is taken from the nest. 



