NATURE NOTES. 
162 
plumage of the London sparrow. Such questions as “ Who put all the birds in 
your garden ? ” or “ What makes this field so high ? ” asked when the corn had 
grown almost to the level of a bordering hedge, show the elementary state of their 
minds as to any really intelligent or personal knowledge of natural things, how- 
ever many facts school books may have taught them. They show also that at 
present it is enough for them to learn the names of the simplest flowers and trees, 
most of which they do not know. On one occasion a child was shown a potato 
plant, and told that she often had its roots for dinner, and was asked to guess 
what it was. “ Is it eggs ?” was her eager answer. Bees are a most interesting 
object of study ; one of our hives has glass windows, and part of the Sunday after- 
noon treat (to be spoken of further on), is for the children to be allowed to go in 
pairs to look into the hive and see the honey in the cells, or to watch the bees 
coming in with honey or wax, and be told how they live and work. The children 
stroke the grass to feel how soft it is, and stand under the trees to see how tall 
they are ! “ Does that big tree all belong to you ? ” was asked once almost in a 
tone of awe, as if it was high enough to be shared in by many families. And they 
gather huge bunches of flowers to take back to little brothers and sisters who are 
as yet too young for the holiday, and who are taught to look on the country as a 
sort of Paradise where good children go. 
We note that the Council of the Fund this year issues 
“ suggestions ” for interesting the children in the study of 
Nature, and that it is proposed they should gather leaves of 
certain trees, press them, gum them into an exercise book, write 
the name of the place and the date when gathered, and make a 
pencil drawing of the leaf; while “ it is hoped that the teachers 
and visitors will talk to children who are going into the country, 
and interest them in the idea of collecting, and that the country 
correspondents will give their help and advice to children during 
their holiday.” The intention of all this is excellent, but we 
doubt whether much will come of it, nor, to tell the truth, are 
we greatly in sympathy with the proposal. 
Another suggestion — “ children may be asked to give a list 
of plants they have seen, but not collected, mentioning those in 
bloom, and giving a description of one” — shows a curious 
ignorance of the fact that even country children have a very 
limited vocabulary, and that the names of many, even among the 
commonest, plants, are not included in it. 
But the common sense of the children may be trusted to 
resent any undue attempt to turn what should be a holidaj' into 
a continuation of school ; and we trust that the visitors will not 
endeavour to press this well-intentioned innovation. What the 
children want is a holiday ; what we want is that our readers 
should help them to get it. All who will do so are invited to 
send los. to the Secretary of the Fund, Mr. McCurdy, 10, 
Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C. 
The Editor. 
