palmer! CONSERVATION THROUGH NATURE-STUDY 



69 



For the older children a "Life-History Chart" is given which 

 gives all of the essential information dealing with the home life 

 and habits of sixteen small winter animals of New York State. 

 This is accompanied by a simple key to all the smaller mammals 

 of the state. In some cases, information is lacking to science con- 

 cerning the life histories of some fairly common mammals. In the 

 chart this is indicated in the hope that some observers may be able 



to offer really valuable in- 

 formation. The idea of 

 using the key (which is in 

 common English) and the 

 "Life-History Chart" was to 

 make information available 

 concerning any mammal 

 which might be found rather 

 than to confine the scope of 

 the Leaflet to some one ani- 

 mal which might not be 

 found. This will avoid the 

 danger of having to have a 

 lesson on, let's say, the gray- 

 squirrel which may be uncom- 

 mon while the school wood- 

 box is the home of a family 

 of deermice. 



Once the children have 

 gained an interest in the life 

 history of the common mam- 

 mals of the community it 

 is not difficult to show the 



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A boy playing at making squirrel 

 tracks 



From The Cornell Rural School Leaflet 



necessity of intelligent use of good that can be gained from 

 them. The game laws so often misunderstood are the natural out 

 growth of the observations of those who had the vision to see that 

 unless protected these animals would not be able to survive the 

 conditions imposed upon them by the increasing population of 

 human beings. One naturally expects to find then the subject 

 matter of the January Leaflet terminating in a brief of the New 

 York State Game Laws dealing with fur-bearing animals. There 

 is a reason why each of these laws exists or there should be. If 

 children understand these reasons they will champion rather than 



