Bird Day; How to prepare for it   By: Charles Almanzo Babcock (1847-1922)

HOW TO PREPARE FOR IT

BY

CHARLES A. BABCOCK, A.M., LL.B.

Superintendent of Schools, Oil City, Pennsylvania

SILVER, BURDETT AND COMPANY

NEW YORK BOSTON CHICAGO

COPYRIGHT, 1901,

BY SILVER, BURDETT AND COMPANY

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED

TO THE LOVERS OF CHILDREN

AND OF BIRDS

AUTHOR'S NOTE

The aim of this book is to assist school children in the accurate study of a few birds. It is believed that if this be attained, further study of birds will take care of itself.

Thanks are due the Audubon Society, ornithologists, educators, and legislators, for the generous approbation and assistance which they have given the Bird Day movement.

Special thanks are due the Department of Agriculture for permission to use the illustrations in this volume. Those on pages 65, 67, 69, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 85, 87, 89, 93, and 95 are printed from electrotypes from the original illustrations appearing in "Farmer's Bulletin," No. 54. Those on pages 81 and 83 are from the Yearbook of the Department for 1899, and that on page 91 from the Yearbook for 1898. All these publications are issued by the Department.

CONTENTS

I. HISTORY OF THE MOVEMENT FOR "BIRD DAY"

II. THE VALUE OF BIRDS

III. THE DESTRUCTION OF BIRDS

IV. PLAN OF STUDY

V. FURTHER SUGGESTIONS

VI. DIRECTIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK

VII. PROGRAMS FOR BIRD DAY

VIII. THE POETS AND THE BIRDS

IX. OBJECTS AND RESULTS OF BIRD DAY

X. SOME REPRESENTATIVE BIRDS

PART I

BIRD DAY. HOW TO PREPARE FOR IT

BIRD DAY

HOW TO PREPARE FOR IT

I

HISTORY OF THE MOVEMENT FOR "BIRD DAY"

In the spring of 1894 the writer's attention was attracted to the interest of the children in that part of their nature study which related to birds. Their descriptions of the appearance and habits of the birds they had observed were given with evident pleasure. They had a strong desire to tell what they had seen, not in the spirit of rivalry, but with the wish of adding to the knowledge of a subject in which all were equally interested.

It was thought that this work would be done with even more effectiveness if a day were appointed to be celebrated as "Bird Day." With the hope of making a memorable occasion of the day for those taking part in it, several of the noted friends of birds were asked to write something to the children, and to give their opinion of the introduction of "Bird Day" into the schools.

Secretary J. Sterling Morton, the father of "Arbor Day," responded with the following earnest letter, which was at once given to the public through Washington dispatches, and later was sent out from the Department of Agriculture, in circular No. 17:

WASHINGTON, D. C., April 23, 1894.

MR. C. A. BABCOCK, SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, OIL CITY, PA.

Dear Sir , Your proposition to establish a "Bird Day" on the same general plan as "Arbor Day," has my cordial approval.

Such a movement can hardly fail to promote the development of a healthy public sentiment toward our native birds, favoring their preservation and increase. If directed toward this end, and not to the encouragement of the importation of foreign species, it is sure to meet the approval of the American people.