Q. What have we been talking about?  A. Birds’ feathers.  Q. Do they do the birds any good?  A. Yes, keep them warm.  Q. What more good?  A. Make them able to fly.  Q. Who gives the birds feathers to make them warm?  A. God.  Q. Are feathers very heavy?  A. No, very light.  Q. What is the reason that they are very light?  A. That they may fly easily.  Q. What part of the body does a bird fly with?  A. Its wings.  Q. Is no other part useful in flying?  A. Yes.  Q. Do you remember what part?  A. Its tail.  Q. Of what use is its tail?  A. To guide it.  Q. What do you mean by guiding it?  A. Turning it any way it wants to go.  Q. What is the reason that birds’ feathers do not get all full of wet when the rain falls on them?  A. Because there is an oily juice that makes the rain fall off.  Q. When little birds, such as sparrows and robins, come out of the eggs, have they got feathers?  A. No, they are naked.  Q. Are they very long naked?  A. No, in a few days the feathers grow.  Q. Is it not curious that the cold does not kill the little birds while they are naked?  A. So it would, only the old ones sit over them and keep them warm.  Q. Are ducks and turkeys and hens naked when the come out of the shell?  A. No.  Q. What are they covered with?  A. A sort of down.  Q. Do you know of any bird that has very pretty feathers?  A. Yes, the peacock.  Q. Is it prettier than the goose?  A. Yes.  Q. Is it so useful?  A. No.  Q. What do the goose feathers make?  A. The feathers in the quill make pelts?  Q. What do the small ones make?  A. They make stuffing for pillows and beds.  Q. Where do the prettiest birds live?  A. In very warm places, far away from this.  Q. Do the same feathers always remain on a bird?  A. No, they drop off, and new ones come.  Q. What is this called?  A. Moulting.

Such lessons as this will never be forgotten by the little ones.  They will learn to adore the great God at the sight of any thing he has made.  It is hoped they learn to love to read Nature’s book when they grow older, as every correct notion obtained by a child, through a natural object, which it is frequently accustomed to meet with, can never be entirely effaced; and what is more, it prepares the way, at some future time, for a larger amount of knowledge as to God’s revealed will.

A spider, a living specimen of which may be easily procured, may be made a very instructive gallery lesson; it may prevent the fears and foolish prejudices against ugly yet harmless insects, which often remain through life.  Part of a bush may be procured with a real web and spider upon it, so that its beautiful and highly curious web may be also exhibited to the children, its uses may be also pointed out, and a short history of the little animal’s habits may be given, but not before their opinions have been taken on the object, which may be done in a similar manner as that which we pointed out in the former lesson, and then the teacher may proceed thus: