456 NATURE STUDY. 



Presentation. Have cat in the schoolroom, where chil- 

 dren can study her parts, and compare with the parts of 

 their own body. 



Kitty's Fur or Clothes. Have children observe how soft 

 and warm it feels, how thick the hair is, how it is colored 

 on different parts of the body. Have them tell how the 

 hairs sometimes come out; that is, how kitty sheds her 

 fur. After they have observed all they can about the fur, 

 and not until then, discuss with them how the fur keeps 

 kitty warm, how it makes her look so much prettier (com- 

 pare with cat which has lost part of her fur), how the fur 

 is changed, the old hairs dropping out (before they get 

 long enough to tangle, like the children's hair), and the 

 fine soft hairs taking their place. 



Kitty's Legs and Feet. Constantly compare children 

 and kitty. 



Use. Have a child show how children bend their legs, 

 and how they stand on their toes, when getting ready to 

 jump, how they straighten their legs as they jump, and 

 how they bend and straighten their legs when they walk. 

 What is the use of the bends or joints in their legs ? Note 

 how kitty bends and straightens her hind legs when she 

 jumps or walks. Her hind legs are kept bent, and she 

 always stands on her toes ready to jump. 



Structure. Help children to note the parts and joints of 

 their own legs, the upper leg, knee joint, lower leg, ankle- 

 joint, foot, toes, and nails. Compare with (apparently) 

 corresponding parts of kitty's hind leg, the long upper leg, 

 the upper joint (apparently corresponding to our knee, but 

 bending backward instead of forward), the lower leg, ankle- 

 joint (apparently), and toes and claws, with no heel and 

 little foot. (The cat really has a short upper leg, concealed 

 by the flesh of the body, and the knee-joint, bending like ours, 

 but close to the body. What seems to be the knee really 



