84 NATURE STUDY LESSONS FOR PRIMARY GRADES 



the little chicks are ready to leave the shell, who 

 opens their shell door for them? (They do.) How? 

 (Notice the little drill on the bill.) Do you see it on 

 the bills of the older chickens ? At what time of the 

 year do these little chicks come into the world ? (In 

 warm weather, usually, in spring or summer.) Why 

 not in cold weather? How do they get a living 

 when young? How many little chicks has the 

 mother often to scratch for? Does she complain 

 about her hard work ? (No, she likes it.) How does 

 she call her little .chicks when she finds a nice worm ? 

 Does she talk with them as she walks out ? What 

 does she say ? And how do the little chicks answer 

 her ? (By a happy little " peep, peep.") But when 

 one gets out of sight of its mother or gets into 

 trouble ? (Then it cries a loud, long, lonesome wail, 

 until its mamma hears it and runs to it, or some per- 

 son comes to help it. It is a good thing that a 

 chicken can let us know when it is in trouble.) 



What kind of sound does the mother make when 

 she sees a hawk in the sky or a snake in the grass ? 

 What does this sound tell the little chickens to 

 do ? (To hide in the grass.) Does the mother hide, 

 too ? (No, she is ready to fight for her babies if there 

 is need of it.) How* can she .fight? . ? (With her bill, 



