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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. It is a melancholy fact that among the enemies of our birds two of the most destructive and relentless are our women and our boys. The love of feather ornamentation so heartlessly persisted in by thousands of women, and the mania for collecting eggs and killing birds so deeply rooted in our boys, are legacies of barbarism inherited
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