LESSONS TN GEOLOGY. 389 



guish them in winter. Get specimens of the wood of different 

 trees and learn to distinguish them by the character of the wood. 



Most insects die in autumn, being represented during the winter 

 by eggs, larvae, or some imperfect form, but a large number live 

 through the winter, usually in a torpid state. They are perhaps 

 more commonly found under decaying logs, in rotten wood, or 

 between the bark and wood and similar places. A collection of 

 such insects with notes of the circumstances under which they 

 were found would be interesting and valuable. Whilelooking for 

 insects one may find salamanders, mice, snail shells and other 

 things of interest. In every locality a number of birds, as owls, 

 hawks, woodpeckers, shrikes, chickadees, blue jays and others are 

 found during the winter; make a list of these winter birds, and 

 note their habits, the food they eat, and the places in which they 

 are found. 



As spring approaches watch for signs of life in the trees and 

 plants; note which trees and shrubs blossom before putting out 

 their leaves, and the plants that send up the first flowers; study 

 the trees and shrubs in their spring and summer vegetation, and 

 note the colors the leaves of different plants and trees assume in 

 autumn. Note the soil and surroundings in which the different 

 plants and trees seem to thrive best; some will be found to have 

 a wide range, others will be confined to narrow limits. 



Observe, also, the returning summer birds, which come first, and 

 when they come, and how soon after the first one is seen do the 

 birds of its kind become common. Study the feeding and nesting 

 habits of the birds, and note the localities the different kinds 

 seem to prefer. Notice how completely the opening flowers and 

 returning birds depend on the weather. At certain times in the 

 spring birds visit us for a few days on their journey to more 

 northern regions, and again in autumn on their return to the 

 warmer regions. Make notes of these dates and of the birds 

 passing. 



The study of the smaller mammals, as mice, moles, shrews, 

 ground squirrels, etc., is an interesting and neglected field of ob- 

 servation. The study of reptiles, batraehians, crustaceans, mol- 



