THE CLASSIFICATION OF ANIMALS 69 



he made by some boy interested in birds and acquainted with 

 making skins, or by the teacher, or can be purchased from a natur- 

 alists' supply store, or dealer in bird skins. The skins will cost 

 about 25 cents each. This example or lesson in classification can 

 be given just as well of course with other species of birds, or with 

 a set of some other kinds of animals, if the teacher prefers. Insects 

 are especially available, butterflies perhaps offering the most readily 

 appreciated resemblances and differences. 



Species. Examine specimens of two male downy 

 woodpeckers (the males have a scarlet band on the back 

 of the head). (In the western States uses Gardiner's 

 downy woodpecker.) Note that the two birds are of the 

 same size, have the same colors and markings, and are 

 in all respects alike. They are of the same kind; simply 

 two individuals of the same kind of animal. There are 

 hosts of other individuals of this kind of bird, all alike. 

 This one kind of animal is called a species. The species 

 is the smallest * group recognized among animals. No at- 

 tempt is made to distinguish among the different individuals 

 of one kind or species of animal as we do in our own case. 



Examine a specimen of the female downy wood- 

 pecker. It is like the male except that it does not have 

 the scarlet neck-band. But despite this difference we 

 know that it belongs to the same species as the male 

 downy because they mate together and produce young 

 woodpeckers, male and female, like themselves. There 

 are thus two sorts of individuals, t male and female, com- 

 prised in each species of animal. A species is a group of 

 animals comprising similar individuals which produce 

 new individuals of the same kind usually after the mating 

 together of individuals of two sexes which may differ 

 somewhat in appearance and structure. 



* The lesser group called variety, or subspecies, we may leave out of 

 consideration for the present. 



\ Some species of animals are not represented by male individuals ; and 

 in some all the individuals are hermaphrodites, as explained in chapter 

 XIV, 



