52 
BY THE WAYSIDE 
BY THE WAYSIDE 
Published on the tenth of each month except July 
and August. 
The official organ of the Wisconsin and Illinois 
Audubon Societies. 
Twenty-five cents per year. Single Copies 3 cts. 
All communications should be sent to Miss Ruth 
Marshall, Appleton, Wis. 
NATURE STUDY IN SCHOOLS. 
VII. Domesticated Animals. 
Now that the season of ice and snow has 
•come, and the winter’s torpor has settled up¬ 
on most things animate, the teacher of na¬ 
ture study will find a fitting period for di 
reefing the pupils’ attention to the important 
subject of domesticated animals. As an in¬ 
troduction to this theme, let us consider two 
very significant truths. Man probably took his 
greatest and most important step in civiliza¬ 
tion, not when he invented written language, 
but when lie domesticated animals. Without 
their help, a little thought will show us, he 
would still remain a savage. Consider, too, 
that the child’s first experience with nature 
comes through his contact with pets. These 
considerations should give the proper point of 
view in framing a rational series of lessons for 
school work. 
The number of domesticated animals is 
small, and the forms are well known and fa¬ 
miliar. It is a singular fact that nearly all 
of them were tamed at periods of great an¬ 
tiquity, and by the Aryan people of Asia. 
This field of human endeavor seems to have 
been almost neglected in the last centuries of 
the life of the race. 
As man has gained so much in the past by 
the help of these humble friends, so the child 
gains immensely by early association in a 
sympathetic relation with them. The child’s 
great desire for pets has a deep significance. 
Whatever will deepen this attachment is a real 
gain. 
In the nature study course there should be 
found room for one domesticated animal each 
year in the lower grades. The cat and dog 
should come first; they are commonly the 
first pets. The dog has been longest domesti¬ 
cated. and he is the most intelligent. He has 
followed man everywhere; from his close com¬ 
panionship he has learned to understand man 
best, and his devotion is proverbial. Of the 
cat not so much can be said in its favor. Prof. 
Sh'aler of Yale, our authority on domesticat¬ 
ed animals, says that the cat “is the only ani¬ 
mal that has been tolerated, esteemed, and at 
times, worshipped, without having a distinct¬ 
ly valuable quality.’’ Its usefulness is limit¬ 
ed, and its propensity for killing birds and its 
proneness to carry disease make it doubtful 
whether children should be so often allowed to 
keep it as a pet. 
The horse is the next most familiar do¬ 
mesticated animal, and the teacher need have 
no trouble in planning for several successful 
lessons upon it. Then there are rabbits, fowls, 
swine, cattle and sheep. 
In all of these lessons there must be a skill¬ 
ful selection of just the right points to pre¬ 
sent to the children. It is not the learning of 
anatomical facts, but the establishing of bet¬ 
ter relations between the child and animals 
that should be the object of the lessons. A 
good way to begin is to ask each child to 
write or tell the names of the pets he has kept. 
Next, ask how they cared for them, and en¬ 
courage them to tell about their habits, and 
give incidents to illustrate their peculiar 
traits. This if well directed will be profitable. 
The teacher will need to bring out certain 
points and to emphasize others. What kind 
of care is best for each, and what are the 
traits which have made it useful to man? For 
older children it will be very interesting to 
give the origin of the various domesticated 
forms. Have them learn the laws in regard to 
cruelty of animals. Then read or tell them 
famous stories of animals and direct them to 
read others if they are old enough. For the 
composition class ask them to write stories 
of their own experience with their pets. 
The teacher will find useful for reference 
and help in presenting this subject the papers 
of Prof. N. S. Shaler, and the nature study 
books of Dr. C. F. Hodge and D. Lange. 
K. M. 
Another teacher writes an encouraging let¬ 
ter to the Wayside. 
“Never before have I witnessed as much in¬ 
terest and enthusiasm in any society that L 
have been a member of, and never have I ex¬ 
perienced a keener pleasure than that which 
our little band have by their interest and de¬ 
votion for birds imparted. The Wayside is a 
welcome guest and if it is bringing as much 
pleasure and benefit to the other branches of 
the society, it is certainly a noble work.” 
