Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-06-28

miss Fannie, the blue-birds have conn
the blue-birds have Gomez exclaimed
| chorus of voices, as bevy of girls entered
| the scho0l-room one morning Just as tn,
| first bell rang.
We saw two in Mr.. Flemings yard a
| we came up the street." continued Ida anC
| Jennie, almost in a breath.
"And Fay and l saw four in Mr.. Stone!
| orchard" said Grace.
"When Mamie and I were crossing Rec
| Bridge, we heard something a-twitterins
around, and when we looked down the rur
| we saw some blue-birds a-hopping abou
| on the bushes" said Robbie, rather shyly
So the reports came in, as the pupil:
gathered about the teachers desk. Nearly
all the children while on their way t.
school that morning had seen the first blue
birds of the season.
well, | am glad you are so observing
said Miss Fannie, after she had listened &
moment; land by your bright, cheerful
faces | know you are all happy at the re-
turn of the birds This is the 9Th Of
March" continued the teacher earlier
than usual for blue birds isn't il? y"
Yes, ma'am," answered Clyde, prompt.
ly they didn't come till the 10th OF
March last year. | looked in my notebook
this morning"
Just then Willie, who lives a mile in the
country, came in and reported that he had
seen " q whole lot y of blue-birds and three
robins.
alt is rather early for robins to return
from the South, F" said Miss Fannie; :" but
sometimes they remain with us all winter,
when they find thick hedge or cedar ar
Dor to live in"
"Yes, ma'am; two stayed in our pine
trees winter before last, and l fed them
sometimes" said Arthur
"Now, children, it is about time for the
second bell; but we will talk further about
birds during our miscellaneous hour this
afternoon. In the meantime do not forget
your notebooks" reminded the teacher,
as the pupils went to their seats.
For three or four years the pupils of this
school, at the suggestion Of their excellent
teacher, had been watching the return of
the birds and studying their habits.
Some of the boys and girls had kept note
books, in which they had recorded their
observations and many of them were thus
able to give the date of the return of mar
tins, blue-birdS and robins or when they
first saw the swallow sailing overhead
twittering in its flight, or the cat-bird fit
ting from bush to bush in search of berries.
One remarkable coincidence, as shown
by their records, is that martins have made
their appearance on the 18th day of March
for three years in succession. As these
pupils live in and near 4 small town, their
observations do not vary much, only few
days, if any, intervening between dates, in
most instances.
In this way these young people are learn
ing to use their eyes and ears outside the
school room, as well as in it, and at the
same time they are obtaining much useful
and pleasing information.
The birds have no better friends any
where than the members of Room No. 3.
That they are careful not to harm or
brighten away the birds, is shown by the
fact that for two years a pair of robins
have built their nest and reared their brood
undisturbed in one of the shade trees in
front of the school-room.
Instead of climbing the tree or knocking
the nest down with a short pole, as any
boy could have done easily, each took
pride in considering himself the especial
protector of the brood, and woe to any cat
that was seen near the tree.
Recalling the great delight that this
school took in watching and talking about
their feathered friends, we wondered if
there are not thousands of boys and girls in
the land who would take similar interest
in birds, if their attention were directed to
the subject by teachers and others.-lThos.
Condit in Golden Days.