26 BULLETIN 805, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 
necessary for it to eat the green bark of young fruit trees in winter. — 
Study cottontails to be able to answer the following questions: | 
(1) What kind of track does the cottontail make? Can you tell which way 7 
is going? r 
(2) What time of day does it move about? 
(3) How does it spend the day? | 
(4) What are the two most noticeable peculiarities of the rabbit? (Ears, hind © 
legs.) 
(5) How does the rabbit hold its ears—when resting? When startled? When 
not certain about the direction of the noise? When running? 
(6) How does the rabbit move its head to detect a scent? Observe and explain 
movements of its nostrils. Note the upper lip, the teeth, whiskers— 
uses? Eyes—why so placed? 
(7) Compare front and hind legs. How do they differ and why? Front and 
hind feet. 
(8) Describe the coat. How does the rabbit escape being seen? What is 
meant by a rabbit “freezing”? ; 
(9) What kind of nest has the cottontail? Whatitisit called? Form. 
(10) What are some of the cottontail’s enemies? How does it escape them? 
Do rabbits fight? How? How do they show anger? With which foot 
do they stamp? 
(11) What do cottontails eat at this season of the year? 
(12) Let some member of the class capture a cottontail in a box trap and bring 
it to school in a wire cage for study. Are there white rabbits at any of — 
the homes of the community? Compare the white rabbit and the cotton- 
tail. 
Spiders are engmeers. They build suspension bridges, aeroplanes, 
and balloons. They are of great value to man since they destroy 
millions of injurious Insects every year, such as flies, mosquitoes, 
bugs, and grasshoppers. There is not so much danger from their 
bite as is often thought. Study cobwebs in the school building and 
in the homes this month to learn the followimg facts: 
(1) Is the web a sheet or a mass of crisscross tangled threads? How are the 
threads held in place? 
(2) What is the purpose of the web? Describe the piace where the spider 
hides. 
(3) Entangle a fly or other insect in the web and watch the spider. What does 
he do with the fly? x 
(4) Imprison a spider in a small bottle. Examine carefully to note the number 
of legs, sections of the body, and pairs of eyes. 
Practical work.—Looking for and recording facts concerning new 
birds and wild mammals, and studying and recording facts with 
reference to the cottontail and house spider give an abundance of © 
class work.. 
At least one cottontail and a number of house spiders should be 
made captive and brought to school. Some member of the class — 
should make a box trap and catch a rabbit for study. He should be 
put into a small cage made of chicken wire and brought to school. 
Do not keep him in captivity long. The spiders should be placed in 
