OUTLINE OF ANIIVEAL STUDY. 31 



ARTICULATES. 



Insects. — Caterpillars and butterflies (in September). Milkweed and 

 cabbage butterflies are best, as their transformations can be readily 

 watched. The dark brown, hairy (Isabella) caterpillar and the yellow 

 (woolly bear) caterpillar are good for the study of habits. 



Keep caterpillars in cans or tumblers covered with netting or in wire- 

 netting boxes. Study habits and movements, feeding and food, breathing 

 and spinning of caterpillar, formation of cocoon, transformation to butter- 

 fly or moth, and movements, feeding, and breathing of adult. 



Dwell on beauty of form, color, and adaptation, and on symbolism of 

 the transformation or metamorphosis. 



MOLLUSKS. 



Snails. — Pond snails and land snails (in October and November). Gather 

 early, keep in glass cans, and have children watch habits, movements, feed- 

 ing and food, breathing, protection, and, when eggs are deposited in cans, 

 life history. Make structure incidental. 



VERTEBRATES. 



Fish. — Gather minnows in October, keep in school-room and have chil- 

 dren watch habits. Study adaptation to their life and work (November). 



Birds. — Watch for birds in April. Children should learn to recognize 

 two or three. Study and talk about their homes and habits, nesting, songs, 

 eggs, feeding and protecting young. A canary in school-room may be 

 helpful. 



Field Lessons. — Homes of insects, galls, leaf-miners, leaf-rollers, in 

 September. Two or three common birds, robin, bluebird, oriole, sparrow, 

 in May. 



SECOND YEAR. 



Aim. — To review and "clinch" woi"k of first year, with a little more 

 attention to structure. Only living animals studied. 



ARTICULATES. 



I7isecfs.— Caterpillars and butterflies, with more careful study (Sep- 

 tember). Crickets kept in wire cage or cans, and movements, feeding, 

 breathing, and chirping investigated. Main divisions and appendages 

 studied and compared with those of grasshopper (September). Galls and 

 leaf -miners — homes of insects — studied a little in October. 



Spiders. — Kept in cans or bottles, and habits observed. Emphasize 

 spinning habits and web. Compare divisions of body and" appendages with 

 those of insects. Gather cocoons or egg-cases and talk about life history 

 (^September and October). 



MOLLUSKS. 



Snads — (October.) Eeview habits, study parts and their use, shell 

 and its formation from lime, and lead to fossil shells and limestone. 



