204 THE NATURE AND WORK OF PLANTS 



It will be of equally great interest to follow the 

 activities of the forest members through early sum- 

 mer, midsummer, late summer, autumn, and late 

 autumn, until the closing of the season. 



243. Families and species in the community. 

 The work outlined in the previous pages should en- 

 able the student to make a census of the families 

 and species which make up the community. This 

 should be done in connection with the study of 

 the various elements in the forest. The student 

 should provide himself with a manual of the flora 

 of the region in which he is located, and make 

 himself familiar with the use of it so that he can 

 identify the majority of the species met with. The 

 study of the forest enables one to group plants ac- 

 cording to habit and place in the community, but 

 the study of the flora gives a classification accord- 

 ing to relationship and descent. 



Bring together specimens of species belonging to 

 the same genus, or family, and note their differences 

 and similarities in appearance. 



Compare individuals of the same species which 

 live in different kinds of soil, or in more or 

 less light. If possible, compare a swamp forest 



