116 THE NATURE STUDY COURSE. 



9. Flower arrangements, reference being made to the mustard, the 

 yarrow, the sunflower and either the carraway or the meadow parsnip. 



Animal Study. — 



1. The food supply of some of our wild birds. A commencement to 

 be made in this grade and continued in the next. 



2. A special study of the cat-bird, the downy woodpecker, the flicker 

 and the tame or the wild pigeon. 



3. What birds tenant the nearest groves ? 



4. The relation of the English sparrow to our native song birds. 



5. Study of the cockroach and the field cricket. 



6. Simple classification of insects according to the character of the 

 wings. The following is suggestive : Dragon fly, locust or grasshopper, 

 aphis, potato-beetle, moth, house-fly and ant. 



7. The insect pests of the ash-leaved maple and other shade trees. 



8. The appearance, habits, food, home, etc., of the earthworm. The 

 value of the earthworm to man. Difference between an earthworm 

 and a caterpillar ; between a spider and a grasshopper. 



9. The gopher and the grain fields. The badger and the grain fields. 

 10. A comparison of the gopher and the red squirrel. 



Inanimate Nature.— 



1. Study of the soil (see pages 93 to 101). Testing the productiveness 

 of the following by planting the same kind of seed in each : — 



(a) Clay. 



(b) Sand. 



(c) Clay and sand. 



(d) Humus. 



(c) Clay and humus mixed. 



(/) Sand and humus mixed. 



(;/) Clay, sand and humu.s mixed. Applications. 



2. Bun-drying a pound of each of the above. Finding by weighing 

 the dry remnants 1 1 ■ * * amount <»f water lost in each ease. Experimental 

 work for the purpose of ascertaining which of the above will retain the 

 moisture the longest when subjected t<> the continued heat of the sun. 

 Applications. 



