152 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW 16:4— April. 1920 



November: Kingfisher, redwing blackbird, meadow lark. 



December : Junco, horned lark, snowflake, cardinal. 



January: Crow, English sparrow, bluejay, screech owl. 



February: Downy, chickadee, nuthatch, brown creeper. 



March: Robin, bluebird, song sparrow, waxwing. 



April : The swallows, purple finch, sapsucker, towhee. 



May: Kingbird, oriole, rose-breasted grosbeak, bobolink. 



June: Red eyed vireo, veery, indigo bunting, goldfinch. 



In the spring there should also be. kept in each room a calendar 

 of the robin's nesting habits. Each pair under observation whether 

 at the homes of the pupils or in school grounds should have a 

 separate set of observations which should be recorded on the 

 calendar by the teacher and which should include the following 

 points: i. The date of beginning the nest; 2. The sight and 

 material of the nest ; 3 . Describe the building. 4. The number and 

 color of the eggs; 5. Actions of birds while incubating; 6. Date of 

 hatching the first nestling; 7. Description of nestling and its 

 actions; 8. The feeding of the nestling; 9. Date of young robins 

 leaving the nest; 10. Description of the young robins. 



Another very interesting exercise for fourth grade is collecting 

 nests known to be made by certain bird species; mount these on 

 cardboard with the colored outline of the bird that made it and a 

 short written account of the bird's habits. (See p. 157). 



FIFTH GRADE 



The object of this year's work should be a wider knowledge of 

 bird species and their habits. Early in the year the teacher should 

 give frequent practice in drilling the children how to see a bird. 

 She should give them first a scheme for looking at a bird, in the 

 following order: general color, color of back, wings, wing bars, 

 tail, top of head, eye streak, chin, breast and under parts. The 

 drill may be given by holding up a colored picture of a bird and let 

 the pupils note the colors in this order giving plenty of time at 

 first; later the time should be shortened until only a momentary 

 glimpse is given. This exercise is of the greatest use in training 

 the pupils to note the color and markings of a bird on the wing or in 

 a tree. The exercise should not exceed five or ten minutes in length. 



The activities of the year should include a bird club at the meet - 

 ings of which among other things there should be discussed the 

 following topics : The enemies of birds. How to circumvent the 



