56 
BY THE WAYSIDE. 
BY THE WAYSIDE 
Published on the fifteenth of each month. 
The official orgaD of the Wisconsin and Illinois Audu¬ 
bon Societies. __ 
Twenty=five cents per year. Single copies, three cents. 
\il communications should be sent to Mrs. G. W. 
Pkckham, G46 Marshall St., Milwaukee, Wis. 
The table needs but little explanation. A 
list is made from the notes of all the pupils, 
but each marks his own. One pupil will see 
the northern shrike and mark it seen, while 
another can only mark it “reported.” No bird 
is put on the list without the approval of the 
teacher. Last year we had seventy-three birds 
on our list, and I can answer for every one of 
them. 
Now I believe this to be true bird study 
and its utility and common sense are its de¬ 
fense. Only fifteen minutes twice a week was 
needed to keep the notes, and the time was not 
missed. An interest was aroused and the di¬ 
version from regular school work was pleasing. 
Many pupils reported an added pleasure in 
verifying their notes and observations dining 
the summer vacation, and all voted for a con¬ 
tinuation of the study during the present school 
year. 
I have never taught a school where I did 
not have bird study, and I have never heard 
an objection. It is not a good plan to an¬ 
nounce the first day cf school that you intend 
to introduce bird study. Such a couise will 
arouse a storm of opposition. Start it very 
gradually after you have the school well under 
control and no one will suspect an innovation 
until you have the pupils converted and the 
patrons realize the value in the added interest 
of the children in their school work. And re¬ 
member iliat bird protection should be the key¬ 
note. 
The state laws protecting game and song 
birds should be discussed and better ones pro¬ 
posed. Spring shooting of migrants should be 
discouraged. Superstitions about birds should 
1 e exposed. Errors in popular ideas should be 
corrected. Prejudices should be overcome, but 
truth must prevail. A love of the birds must 
not blind one to the fact that some are destruc¬ 
tive to the agricultural and horticultural in¬ 
terests of the state. A healthy sentiment in 
the schoolroom in favor of the birds will down 
the boy who shoots meadowlarks “just for 
fun,” and he will be an outcast until he re¬ 
forms. 
I ursre every member of the Audubon so- 
cieties to think upon this matter and do some¬ 
thing to encourage the study of birds in the 
schools. This is one of the objects for which 
the societies are founded, and yet I fear little 
has been done for the children of our public 
schools. Every year hundreds of boys and 
girls finish their studies and leave school, yet 
they know nothing of the value of birds. In 
their strivings to become real men and women 
they imitate the vices as well as the virtues of 
their elders and join the ranks of bird de¬ 
stroyers, the men for sport and pleasure, the 
women for decoration. As students of bird 
life and champions of bird protection our duty 
is plain. The school is the field and we are re¬ 
sponsible for the harvest. YV hat shall it be 1 
The Turkey’s Nest. 
•'If von find the nest,” said Farmer Brown, 
t 
With a twinkle in his eye, 
"You shall have the nicest thing in town 
That a dollar bill will buy. 
But, mind you, it won’t be children’s play, 
For that sly old turkey-lien 
Has often stolen her nest away, 
And has puzzled all my men.” 
Across the fields and into the wood. 
And down by the running brook, 
Among the logs where the old mill stood, 
Into every kind of nook; 
And, one by one, they gave up the quest— 
Bobbie and Jack and Fred: 
"We never could find that turkey’s nest, 
If we searched a month,” they said. 
The fields were wide and the hills were steep 
And the baby’s years were few. 
And she lagged behind and went to sleep 
Where the alder-bushes grew. 
And the turkey did not see her guest, 
As she sought her eggs, to set; 
So baby awoke and found the nest— 
And the folks are wondering yet. 
—From St. Nicholas. 
