A NATURE STUDY LESSON. 
197 
elongated, and flattened, with a large head, well developed 
mouth parts and three pairs of thoracic feet, with a single 
pro-leg on the terminal segment of the body. When the 
larva is full grown it descends into ‘the earth and changes 
into a nymph, and then reappears a fully developed hunter 
and starts forth to kill, or to be captured by some enthusi¬ 
astic entomologist and his hunting stopped forever. 
A Nature Study Lesson. 
BY EDWARD J. BURNHAM. 
The children aie hungry—have always been hungry—for 
knowledge of the world about them. This world is, for 
them at least, fresh and new and full of wonder. They 
want to know about it; they ask many questions. We are 
beginning to perceive, 
^ , ... man y us , parents, 
teachers, uncles,aunts, 
'' 0- friends, that we must 
Fig. 1. take an interest in 
what they are interested in, or lose much of the better part 
of our influence over them. We are also slowly coming to 
see, too, that there is mental discipline in nature study ; 
that there is practical value in habits of keen observation, 
of development of the reasoning faculty. 
Fet us begin then, and with the simplest objects. Of 
course we know there is no simple object in nature ; every¬ 
thing is so related to other objects, uses, general plan ; but 
let us cull an object—pull 
out a feather, or pick one 
up. A pigeon’s, or a hen’s 
feather, is best, but any 
feather will do. Show the 
expanded part, the vane (Fig 
central axis, the shaft (c). 
Fig. 2. 
1, a), the quill (b), the 
Pull off a side branch of 
