270 LIVING THINGS IN THEIR ENVIRONMENT 



STORY TEST 



JOHN SHOWS How FIDO Is FITTED TO OBTAIN FOOD 

 Read carefully and critically. List all the errors and suggest corrections. 



Fido is my cocker spaniel. I do not think he is very well fitted 

 to get food, for his legs are short and he is not very fast or quick 

 in getting about. But I know he makes up in wisdom what he 

 lacks in agility. His teeth are all sharp and all pointed and some 

 are curved so he can hold fast to his meat. He likes meat best 

 of all, but he will drink milk. He laps the milk with his long 

 tongue. I have taught him to beg and to speak for food and I 

 think these are adaptations for he gets food by means of them. 

 His feet are rather flat and padded and his claws do not stick out 

 much, another adaptation so that he can steal up on his prey. 



PROBLEM IV. WHAT LIVING THINGS ARE FOUND 

 IN MY YARD OR GARDEN? 



What a Survey Would Show. If you were to make a 

 survey of a part of the school grounds or your own home 

 surroundings, you would notice that plants and animals 

 could be placed in two groups, those that are native to the 

 place and those that have been introduced from some 

 other places. Some weeds, grass, many trees, earth- 

 worms, most birds, toads, and insects would come under 

 the first heading, while many other trees, most of our 

 shrubs and flowers, and our garden vegetables would come 

 under the head of introduced plants. 



Common Shade Trees Differ in Various Parts of the 

 Country. Most shade trees lose their leaves in winter and 

 so are called deciduous (from the Latin meaning to fade 

 away). In New England the elm, maple, birch, and oaks 

 are the most common shade trees ; in the central West 

 other varieties of maple and oak would be found along 

 with the poplars, beeches, hickories, sweet gum, and ash. 

 When we get beyond the Mississippi Valley the cotton- 

 woods, poplars, and sycamores become more prominent, 



