^62 



NATIIRE STUDY AND LIFE 



recommended lur .seho(]l use; while feediiii;' tests with nest 

 linys, eonthicted in the manner snL;i;'ested for the toad 

 wonld open the e)'es of children to the work birtls i)er 

 form in nature as no amount of l)ook worl-; could do 

 Toward the end of the spi ing term the fledgelings that the 

 children are rescuing should he utilized for such study 

 and not infrequently a criijpled bird that could not be 



Fic. 14Z. A CfiiN'riiAsr in I It ntsi:Kr.i.i'iNi: 

 Nests of cliippintj sparrow and English sparrow 



safely liberated may come into the possession of the school 

 and may be kejit for such tests. The usual objections io 

 caged birds would not apply to such cases. 



But, after all, the taming of a Ijird is the great lesson, 

 — great chiefly for its influence upon the child. It is a 

 lesson in gentleness, tact, and patience that cannot be 

 excelled in the whole realm of nature stud)'. If a child 

 has rjnce accomplished this feat, its ci\'ilizing influence 

 may go with him as long as he lives. 



Books about birds are now so numerous and so acces- 

 sible to all that I hesitate to name any, since space forbids 



