ANIMAL STUDY 79 



Another good way to study the mammals is to consider those 

 which furnish us with food and clothing. Study the general 

 structure of these animals, their life habits, and the way in 

 which they are useful to man. The industries connected 

 with them, such as the herding, shipping, meat packing, 

 leather making, textiles, etc., should also be referred to. 



Study the cattle industry. Refer to the ranch life, the 

 shipment of the cattle, and the packing of the meat in the 

 large cities. Refer to the dairy industry and its processes. 

 Bring out the dependence of man on animal food. These 

 lessons go well with geography, physiology, and domestic 

 economy. 



Children in all grades are much interested in fur and fur- 

 bearers. Give a series of lessons on the bear, fox, beaver, 

 mink, muskrat, seal, etc. Do not neglect the hunting and 

 trapping. Bring out the adaptation of the animals to the 

 climate, the aquatic life, the protective coloration. Note the 

 structure of the fur, and how it differs from hair and wool. 

 The preparation of the fur for the market is an interest- 

 ing process. Visit a fur factory. Note what articles are made 

 of fur. These lessons are most appropriately studied in 

 the winter. Examine the garments worn by the children 

 and try to distinguish the different kinds of fur. It should 

 be remembered, however, that the commercial names are no 

 guarantee that the fur came from the animal to which it is 

 ascribed. Sometimes an unusual name is given to the fur of 

 a very common and perhaps despised animal. Thus Genuine 

 Brown Marten or Alaska Sable is simply a euphonious name 

 for skunk. Blended River Mink means muskrat, and Siberi- 

 an Bear is simply the long-haired wool of an Asiatic Goat. 



Leather should be treated in a similar way. In the higher 



