THE BIEDS OF NEW JERSEY, t 11 



feature of the schools in Oil City at least. In speaking of 

 the third anniversary, Superintendent Babcock says : 



The exercises this year (1896), as upon previous ones, 

 varied somewhat in the different grades. They consisted 

 of original compositions by the pupils, containing the re- 

 sults of their observations of birds, of talks by pupils and 

 teachers, comparing observations, giving localities of bird 

 haunts, and general exchange of bird lore; of recitations 

 from eminent prose writers on birds, and from the poets; 

 finally many of our schools closed their exercises by a trip to 

 the woods to listen to the vesper concert of our feathered 

 brothers. * * * We begin the study of birds on Jan- 

 uary 1 and continue tiU June, studying those that stay all 

 winter and trying to keep account of the new comers as 

 they arrive. We devote two periods of twenty minutes 

 each per week to this study. Bird Day is a summary or 

 focusing of the work of the year. * * * The results 

 of bird study and of Bird Day are interesting. Our 

 children generally know most of our bird residents, they 

 also love them, and feel like protecting them. There has 

 been a complete change in relations existing between the 

 small boy and the birds. 



Other suggestions regarding the study of birds and the 

 observance of the day will be found in two interesting 

 articles on Bird Day, one by Superintendent Babcock, in 

 the Journal of Education for April 4, 1895; the other by 

 A. E. Winship, in the Outlook for April 6, 1896, p. 560. 



Last spring (1896) the movement was started in Iowa 

 by Prof. 0. H. Morrill, superintendent of schools at Fort 

 Madison, who was apparently unaware of the experiment 

 in Pennsylvania. He set apart May 29, 1896, as Bird 

 Day in the schools under his jurisdiction, and describes 

 the result as follows: 



I never saw children more enthusiastic in preparation 

 or happier in rendering. They brought their pet birds, 

 they decorated the rooms with flowers and green branches, 

 they ornamented the boards with drawings of birds, 

 birds' nests, flowers, etc. * * * The buildings rang 

 with bird music all day, the children were happier than 

 ever before and visitors came until standing space in 



