62 A FIELD GUIDE IN NATURE-STUDY 



in previous lessons to determine which of these common pets has the sharp- 

 est sight, the most acute smell, and the finest sense of hearing. 



Compare the eye of the cat with that of the other animals we are study- 

 ing. How does it differ from theirs ? Do lions and tigers have pupils of 

 the same shape? What other animals have such slit-shaped pupils? 

 This form of pupil permits of very wide expansion and the animals that 

 possess it are usually night prowlers, seeking their prey under cover of 

 darkness or the forest's gloom. When you shut puss in the cellar to catch 

 a mouse do you have to put a lamp there too so that she can see ? Does a 

 dog like to be shut in the dark ? 



It is evident that these alert sense organs are important not alone to 

 give adequate warning of enemies but also to assist in tracking and captur- 

 ing the prey. Why is a dog used in hunting ? When you play hide and 

 seek with your dog how does he find you ? Does he follow you, nose to the 

 ground, or does he just run about looking for you ? How does the hunter's 

 dog find the game ? The acute sense of smell of the noted St. Bernard dogs 

 has saved the life of many a traveler. Look up the story of some hunt 

 where the dog's tracking power has been important. A good one is to be 

 found in the closing chapters of Charles G. D. Roberts' "Romance of Red 

 Fox" in Outing for September, 1905. 



Man has largely lost his keen sense of smell because he uses it so little. 

 It is said that savages, like the American Indians when the white man first 

 came to this country, would track their prey or their enemies by the sense 

 of smell. Now we use the sense of sight. Can you tell a rabbit's track ? 

 a squirrel's ? Can you tell in which direction the dog is traveling from his 

 tracks ? Draw a dog's track. Can you tell from a rabbit's or squirrel's 

 tracks which way the animal has gone? Read "How Bunny Writes His 

 Autograph" in Gibson's Sharp Eyes. 



Notice that a dog's nose is cold and moist. Try the following experi- 

 ment and then see if you can tell why the dog's nose is wet. With a clean 

 handkerchief wipe dry the surface of the tongue. Sprinkle a pinch of 

 sugar on the dry surface and keep the mouth open. When is the sweet 

 taste noticed ? What other animals have moist noses ? Do they have a 

 keen sense of smell also? Notice the reading of the thermometer in the 

 schoolroom. Then wrap a moist cloth about the bulb. In a few minutes 

 note the reading again. Now can you tell why the dog's nose is cold ? 



Protective color and habits. The animal's weapons and senses are not 

 its only means of protection. What is the color of the wild hare in winter ? 

 what during the rest of the year ? What is the purpose of this change of 

 color ? What is the color of the squirrels in your neighborhood ? Where 

 do they live ? What is the color of the tree trunks ? What is the color of 



