succeed and not waste time, not become disheartened at work that, so
far as they can discover, has little more relation to their interests
than to the mountains of the moon?

We look to nature study to supply the missing links between the
child's life and his school work; to afford opportunities for the
interested observation of things, and to furnish a strong impulse
toward expression. It has been well said that the best result of the
primary schools is the power to use correctly one's own language. The
chief obstacle in the development of this power is the want of an
impulse to express. What can afford a stronger tendency to describe
than the attempt to report observations that have been made with
interest, even with delight?

IV

PLAN OF STUDY

Begin as soon after the first of January as possible. Assign two
periods a week of from ten to twenty minutes each for bird study in
the school. Continue the work during these periods until after the
celebration of Bird Day in May.

If no other bird is to be found, the English sparrow will answer.
Place the following questions upon the blackboard:--

THE ENGLISH SPARROW

How long is this bird from the tip of its beak to the end of
its tail?

What is the color of its head? Of its throat? Of its breast?
Of the underparts of its body? Of its back? Of its wings?

What is the length, shape, and color of its bill?

What is the color of its legs and feet? How many toes upon
each foot, and which way do they point? Does it walk, hop,
or run upon the ground? Is its tail square, or notched? Is
its flight even and steady, or bounding? What is the
difference in appearance between the male and female?

The children should be directed to answer these questions from their
own observation, at the next period of study. For the lowest grades
two or three questions will be enough for the first attempt, and even
then the variety of answers will be surprising.

No other questions should be taken until the first are answered
correctly.

The teacher should have an opera glass or a small field glass with
which to make her own observations. It is obvious that the more
glasses there are among the children, the better. It is advisable for
the teacher to make short excursions with the children to the streets
to assist them in answering these questions. These can be made at the
close of school. As a preparation, have some crumbs or