IO nUFFALO SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCES 



to the eighth grade, using the same material. No slides were 

 shown in these courses. 



In the bird talks, actual specimens of the birds described in 

 Mr. Burroughs' splendid stories were shown, and then a series of 

 pictures was thrown on the screen showing the homes of the birds 

 and the enemies which are liable to attack them. These talks 

 were possibly the most popular of any given. For illustrating the 

 bee talks a hive of live bees was secured, the walls of the hive " 

 being made of glass so that the bees and comb can be plainly seen. 

 Another empty hive was used, to show the frames, comb, queen 

 cells, and general arrangement. A full set of bee-keeping uten- 

 sils gave the children an idea of the methods used by the bee- 

 keeper in handling his charges, and with the help of the slides, 

 many features of the anatomy, as well as the customs and habits 

 of the bee were explained. Two cases were arranged, one show- 

 ing a fairly complete series of the mineral products of the United 

 States in the crude state, and these were used in the lectures to 

 the fifth grade children. Similar cases showed tropical products, 

 notably cocoa, vanilla, cocoanuts, coffee and rubber, and were 

 used in the sixth grade work. The fine slides illustrative of 

 Jamaica products will be available in addition for the work next 

 year. The Physiology talks were an effort to perform for the 

 children the experiments required in the new physiology syllabus, 

 with suitable explanation, and were so successful that at the re- 

 quest of the teachers, an evening was arranged for them alone, at 

 which time they were at liberty to ask questions of the lecturer in 

 regard to the work, and the methods of performing the experi- 

 ments before their classes. Although the talks were given during 

 the required school hours, and attendance was in a sense compul- 

 sory, it has been found that both teachers and children have taken 

 the greatest interest in the work. One boy last year came three 

 different times to the bird talks and several teachers requested the 

 privilege of bringing their classes a second time. In a few of the 

 courses the lectures were announced to the teachers at grade 

 meeting, and they were asked to register their schools, if they 

 cared to have their classes attend. In every case nearly every 

 teacher registered immediately or shortly after the beginning of 

 the series. The lectures are given at 10:30 and at 2:00, the 

 schedule being arranged so that those schools situated the 

 farthest from the museum have an afternoon assignment. 

 This prevents any necessity for hurry in getting back to school 



