LESSON 17 

 BEAVERS 



MEMORY VERSE 



None of us liveth to himself. 



Rom. 14:7 



The Purpose 



In this series of lessons a study of the activities and 

 intelHgence of the insects and smaller animals has been 

 followed by a study of the almost-human nature of the 

 domestic animals. The exceptional intelligence shown 

 by the beaver, a shy creature of the wilds, living a life 

 wholly apart from that of man, has been chosen for this 

 last lesson in Part II. In it the child is taken back to 

 nature again and shown an animal possessing much of 

 the intelligence of the trained elephant, yet having had 

 no association with man. 



The child's mind, having been thus opened to the con- 

 sciousness of the unity of life throughout nature, will be 

 ready for the history of the world's growth, — the sub- 

 ject of the last half of the book. 



Suggestions for the Teacher 



The remarkable intelligence with which the beavers 

 plan and carry on their work is worthy of a picturesque 

 and understanding presentation. It would be well for 

 the teacher to read one or more of the books about 

 beavers in the list recommended (see p. xxi), in order to 



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