EXERCISES FOR SOUTHERN RURAL SCHOOLS. £7 
deal of food at this time and lay on sufficient fat to enable them to 
sleep all the winter, like the ground hog. 
Study as many of the animals of your community as possible this 
month and classify them under one of the three heads. 
Assigned work.—The ant and the bee are quite similar in some 
respects. They are making preparations for the winter. In the 
early part of October attention should be given to these busy little 
creatures. Valuable lessons can be learned by the pupils from their 
industry and organized efforts. 
The ant community or nest consists of: (1) Workers, which are 
wingless, and the ones commonly seen; (2) queens, or females, 
usually one or few at best in a nest and never seen except at mating 
time (the queen is much larger than the workers). At first they 
have wings, but after collecting a colony about them they tear their 
wings off and begin laying eggs; (3) males, smaller than queens, also 
have wings, but are short-lived and are not seen about the nest 
except at mating time; and (4) “‘soldiers,” a kind found among some 
ants which are recognized by their large jaws. 
In the latter part of September and the first part of October the 
young queens and males come out of their nests to mate. Some 
communities or nests of ants should be located and watched care-- 
fully for the purpose oi studying the males and queens when they 
come out. ; 
_ The workers should be observed to note what preparations they are 
making for winter in the way of supplying food and arranging their 
nests. (Reference: Bureau of Entomology Cire. 34.) 
The beehive consists of: (1) Workers, the ones usually seen; (2) 
the queen, one in a hive much larger than the workers, which lays 
the eggs; and (3) males or drones, smaller than the queens. They 
mate with the queens in the fall and then die. 
Bees should be studied at this time to become familiar with their 
methods of getting ready for the winter in the way of collecting 
honey and preparing their hives. (See Farmers’ Buls. 442 and 447.) 
Practical exercises.—The pupils of the fourth grade must keep their 
eyes and ears open at home, in the fields, on the way to school, and 
on the school grounds to learn the things suggested as animal studies 
this month. The teacher should plan a few trips to the woods and 
to the home of some one in the community who keeps bees. Let 
some pupil bring a small bit of honey to school and place at a con- 
venient place outside the building. Watch the bees that visit it. 
Correlations.—Making records of the bird and animal groups, and 
writing stories of the ant and bee provide ample practice in language 
work. 
Drawing: Make drawings of the different kinds of ants and bees. 
5394°—Bull. 305—15-——-—3 
