ce, at maturity they wake up to the characteristics of their
father. Then the brilliant colors begin to play over their feathers--his
colors. Then the song trembles from their throats--his song; and the
beautiful creatures might sing as their wonderful wings flash through
the air, "All this loveliness I owe to my father: it is from him I
received this glorious heritage of beauty and song."

The child can learn the terrible consequences to the birds of their
feathers being taken as ornaments by human beings. The children can be
told that the plumage is most beautiful at the mating and nesting
season, and that thousands of birds, both male and female, are slain
then, that the eggs and young birds consequently die, and that some
species have been almost if not quite exterminated in this cruel way.
The Audubon societies are organized for the purpose of instructing young
people about the birds and getting their cooperation in opposing this
needless slaughter. Some of these organizations are extremely
interesting in their field and lecture work on birds; every neighborhood
could have its Audubon society, to the great pleasure and profit of the
members as well as to the profit of the birds.

Where the mother desires to pass directly from the flower to the bird,
this can be well done by comparing the two, so far as their generative
processes are concerned, at every step. She can remind the little one of
how the flower seed is treasured in the ovary until it is able to go out
into the big world, and can then tell him that the wonderful seed of the
bird, which we call the egg, is treasured in the same way; this to be
followed by the story of the care needed by the bird's egg after it is
born,--how it cannot be left to shift for itself, but must be watched
over and kept warm by its loving little parents until it is fit to leave
the shell, how it then breaks its prison and comes forth so weak and
helpless to be yet further loved and cared for and taught by its
faithful parents.

The question is often asked, should not the story of motherhood precede
that of fatherhood in all this early teaching? Up to a certain point it
may be well, and the story of the life and development of the egg can be
told to young children, with the father-bird merely an aesthetic factor,
so to speak. His care of the young, and protection of the mother-bird
can be dilated upon without going any farther. This is a course,
however, which it will not be wise