82 NATURE STUDY. 



of the woodchuck; the similar habits and body and 

 cheek-pouches of the prairie dog and gopher; the aquatic 

 habits, webbed hind feet, and broad, flattened, scaly tail 

 of the beaver ; the aquatic and burrowing habits, long 

 tail, musky odor, and color (brownish above, gray be- 

 neath) of the muskrat; and the omnivorous habits, 

 long, naked (not covered with hair) tail, and narrow, 

 pointed, lower incisor teeth of the rats and mice. Try 

 to relate differences in structure to differences in 

 habits. 



The results will be much more satisfactory if the 

 rabbits can be compared with two or more other rodents ; 

 it is dangerous and wrong to encourage or allow the 

 pupils to generalize from too few particulars, as they 

 do when they assume the characteristics of rodents from 

 the observation of two species. 



STEP 4. General, summary. 



Gather up from the children, characteristics in which 

 all studied (except the cat) are similar ; general plan, 

 backbone, fur, teeth. In what respects are all like the 

 cat ? In what respects do all differ from cat ? 



Write on the blackboard a list of points in which all 

 the animals studied are like one another and unlike the 

 cat. All animals having these characteristics are called 

 " gnawers " or rodents. Write under this, gaining from 

 pupils, distinctive characteristics of the different kinds 

 of rodents studied. This tabular view appeals to the 

 eye and greatly helps the memory. Have children make 

 copy of it. 



