QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER I. 
THE BIRD : ITS PLACE IN NATURE AND RELATION TO MAN. 
The Bird's Place in Nature (see Chapter I, pages 1-5).— 
How many species of birds are known? In what class are 
they placed?* Name the classes of higher animals; that is, 
mammals, fishes, and reptiles. In what respect does the 
class birds differ from all the other higher classes of ani- 
mals?+ What place does the class birds occupy in the scale 
of life? To what class are they most nearly related ? 
Are birds the only higher animals that fly? Are they the 
only ones that lay eggs? The only ones that incubate ? 
What is the temperature of birds? Of mammals? Of 
reptiles? Have any living birds teeth ? What is the chief 
peculiarity of birds? From what kind of ancestors are 
birds believed to have descended? On what evidence is 
this belief based ? 
Describe the Archzopteryx. Where was it found? In 
what geologic age did it live? Do birds vary much in 
structure ? In habit? : 
Mention some varying habits of birds. 
Economic Relations of Birds to Man (see Chapter I, 
pages 5-9).—In what ways are birds useful to man? What 
loss are insects estimated to inflict on our agricultural in- 
terests annually? What birds catch insects on the wing? 
In the foliage? On the tree trunks? What kinds feed on 
terrestrial insects? Describe Mr. Forbush’s observations 
* The teacher should define the meaning of ** Class ” : as, for ex- 
ample, the class Mammalia, the class Reptilia, etc. 
+ For example, such extreme representatives of the class Aves 
as the Hummingbird and Ostrich, resemble each other in more 
respects than do, for instance, the Bat and the Elephant in the 
class Mammalia. 
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