New-York tribune., 1905-01-10
NATURE STUDY IN FLATS.
GrOwn-Ups Like 1t, as Well as Children
Not Much Trouble.

Mrs l. D. Blake has discovered the reason for
the subsection of man. and at the regular Meeting
or the New-York City Mothers Club yesterday af-
ternoon at the Murray Hill Hotel she revealed
the TO the members Mrs Rlake's obserya-
lions were made at her summer cottage at Point
woods and point TO the conclusion that II is
part Of the Interchangeable order of nature that the
male should slave for the female
Long after the mating season said Mrs Blake
the male oatbirds around my cottage feed the
females The female is too lazy even TO pick up the
crumbs that / scatter for the birds but waits for
me male 10 pick them up and put them in her
mouth A professor to whom I told this refused no
peleFe II. until one day he sitting nA'
Feranda it happened before his eyes,
A female catbrd lit on near US and Mt
tered a peculiar cry 10 which the male responded
10y bringing to her
Ihls was apropos Of talk nature study in
CITY homes. given by Mrs. John I. Northrup. Mrs.
Northrup told how she brought nature into a city
Hai ior the benefit of her small son, and. she
described IT, the plan appeared very easy and Won
deriul!y interesting.
You can start aquarium in a two-quart jar"
Mrs Northrup said, and you can begin terrarium
with Il couple of finger bowls, if nothing more
coinmodlous is available You can buy the stock for
both for tribe but infinitely more interesting
To collect 1t yourself An aquarium is no trouble
at al TO take care Of. Only be careful that you
have not lot of plants with one poor little ami
NAL or lot OF animals with only plant and it
Will take care Of itself. You only have to add a
little water as it eyaporates. and if the gets
cloudy with alge you will have to clean out.
Fish are the least interesting animals you can
have in an aquarium. but snails are interesting and
useful scaTengers mussel will keep the bottom
Of the aquarium clean. and is also Interesting
Tadpoles and turtles always interest children; and
IL is extremely entertaining 10 watch animals de
yelop from the spawn. But this experiment cannot
be carried in a vessel with other animals as
they viii eat the eggs 4 finger bowl may be used
FOR The purpose. and the spawn be bought for
a tTife if one has opportunity to obtain it from
q pond.
THE aquarium should be kept in cool place
freezlllg VIII not hurt IT, but the ordinary heat or
a fat is fatal. a few pond weeds will furnish the
necessary vegetable life. and may be anchored to
the bottom with gravel.
For the tSrTarium beautiful Florida lizards
be bought for 10 cents apiece We have two. which
my son has named Tommy and Lizzie. They have
been source of much pleasure TO the whole house
hold. and have very different dispositions For in
stance. when they shed their coats Lizzie often
helps Tommy Off with his skin, but Tommy has
never been seen 10 help Lizzie.
we always name our animals. il gives them
more human interest. but don't believe in carrying
that too far Some of so-caled nature writer's
make animals talk and act like children because 1t
is much easier to write in that way than to present
actual facts in an interesting manner"
Snakes. caterpars and spiders also nhabit Mrs.
NOrthrups fat, and for larger fry her son has
found squirrels the most interesting. Coming to
plants. she said
Children are more interested in animlas than
In plants, but there many phases Of plant life
that viii appeal to them. One interesting thing
from the country and watch the different plants
that will develop it during the winter
At the conclusion of Mrs. Northrup'S talk the
club decided that II wanted 10 take ramble in
pointed TO correspond with her about the date and
other arrangements.