70 LESSOR OIS THE EOBIX. 



This change in the Gulf Stream causes the mild climate in the British 

 Isles and in Western Europe. So we see that had it not been for the coral 

 polyp, France and England would have a climate like that of wintry, ice- 

 bound Laborador. 



LESSON ON THE ROBIN IN A KINDERGARTEN GRADE, 

 BEACHMONT, MASS. 



BY 



LlEEIAN A. YOTJXG. 



The robin was my subject for one of our talks on 

 early springtime, since that bird is one of the heralds of 

 warmer weather. 



To introduce the subject, each one in the kindergar- 

 ten mentioned some change in nature that had taken place 

 since mid-winter. Many things told us of our approaching 

 springtime: Jack Frost and the north wind are not such 

 frequent visitors ; the sun comes to us earlier in the morn- 

 ing and stays later at night ; the leaf buds are swollen and 

 a bluebird was seen. Pussy willows and poplar catkins 

 had been found and with much delight we had watched 

 some alder buds " shake out their powd'ry curls." 



A few days prior to this talk, a moth that had been 

 sleeping in the schoolroom all winter, crept from his co- 

 coon. The interest of the little ones had been greatly aroused 

 by the coming to life of this moth, for in the previous fall 

 a cabbage worm had made his chrysalis in the kindergar- 

 ten, and we were eagerly awaiting his awakening. The 

 chrysalis was examined, but no signs of life were yet vis- 

 ible. 



My assistant had seen true harbingers of spring — rob- 

 ins. She told me that many robins had sought the shelter 

 of spruce trees which were near her home. We were all 

 anxious to know what these robins did all day long and 



