BY THE WAYSIDE 
59 
NATURE STUDY DEPARTMENT 
The Trees in Winter. 
[Teachers of Nature Study, pupils and 
ill subscribers to the Wayside are invited 
o write out this and the following lessons 
>f the series and then send them to the 
vriter in care of the Editor.] 
Everyone should know by name the 
common trees of the region. The study 
;an well be begun in winter when the 
general form and certain other characters 
ire best made out. 
Beginning with those about home, 
nake a list of the trees that you know; 
Ben extend your observations until you 
lave the kinds. In learning the new 
vinds and in studying the trees already 
somewhat familiar to you, note the 
characters and illustrate them with clear 
outline drawings. 
1. General form of the tree. 
2. The buds, their size, shape, cover¬ 
ings, arrangement on the stem. 
3. The bark, its character on the 
;runk and on the twigs. 
4. The seeds or fruit, when found, its 
general characteristics. If there are any 
^evergreens”, study the size and arrange¬ 
ments of the leaves. If there are trees 
that you cannot identify send small twigs 
with vour lesson. 
j 
Bring into the house twigs of various 
trees; put them in water and watch the 
expanding buds. Note carefully what 
they contain. 
Make a map of the neighborhood and 
note upon it the position of all the trees 
with their names. Do you find any de¬ 
serted nests in any of them? 
Are the trees about your home or 
school natives? Do you know when and 
how they were planted? Have they 
reached their full size? Are they the 
most desirable kinds? Why? Are there 
enough trees? What other kinds might 
be planted with good results? Can you 
suggest an v way of preventing “bad boys” 
from destroying fruit and nut trees? 
Ought trees to be protected by law? 
What influence have trees upon the 
soil in which they grow? upon the 
amount of moisture which the ground 
retains? upon the general climatic con¬ 
ditions of your region? How do they 
influence animal life, especially birds 
and insects? What is their effect upon 
other trees? 
R. M. 
Birds Work Long Hours. 
“Our hours,” said a nature student to 
the New Orleans Times-Democrat, “are 
nothing to those of the birds. Why, 
some birds work in summer 19 hours a 
day. Indefatigably they clear the crops 
of insects. The thrush gets up at 2:30 
every summer morning. He rolls up 
his sleeve and falls to work at once, and 
he never stops till 9:30 at night, a clean 
19 hours. During that time he feeds his 
voracious young 206 times. The black¬ 
bird starts work at the same time as the 
thrush, but he lays off earlier. His 
whistle blows at 7:30, and during his 17- 
hour day he sets about 100 meals before 
his kiddies. The tit-mouse is up and 
about by three in the morning, and his 
stopping time is nine at night. A fast 
worker, the tit-mouse is said to feed his 
young 417 meals—meals of caterpillar 
mainly—in the long hard, hot day.”— 
Boston Herald. 
