310 NATURE STUDY AND AGRICULTURE 



bird they are studying. Take a few minutes to compare 

 reports of these observations. Keep a list with dates of the 

 birds actually seen by the class in the field. Encourage 

 older pupils to keep individual bird calendars. Help the 

 children to form the habit of caring for weak and wounded 

 birds. Have them try to attract the birds about their 

 homes as described in another paragraph. 



Bird study may easily be correlated with language 

 work and drawing. Many interesting compositions may 

 be written on topics that bear upon the bird study: 

 What I saw during an early morning bird trip. What 

 the woodpeckers do for us. What we may do for the 

 birds. What I saw a robin doing. Why should native 

 sparrows be protected ? The water-color hour may well 

 be spent now and then in painting a bird that has been seen 

 and admired. 



How to Attract the Birds. The number of birds in any 

 neighborhood depends largely upon the abundance of 

 food supply, the number of suitable nesting and roosting 

 places, and whether or not the birds feel a sense of security 

 against natural foes. Much may be done to make the 

 surroundings of our homes and schools so attractive that 

 the number of birds will steadily increase. 



Trees and shrubs are perhaps of first importance; with- 

 out those we may not hope for an abundance of bird life. 

 While trees of any sort are better than none, some kinds 

 seem to have a greater attraction for birds than others. 

 This fact may well be taken into consideration when trees 

 are being set out in our yards, or along the streets and in the 

 parks of cities. Maples of various kinds are attractive to 

 robins, wood thrushes, gold finches, and other birds that 



