1909J The Ottawa Naturalist. 16,3 



BOTANICAL EXCURSIONS. 



German Field Methods. 

 By John Craig, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. 



There are few places in central Etirope where the student 

 can spend a more agreeable summer than in the pleasant city 

 of Freibourg, in the famous Black Forest region of southwestern 

 Germany. In this city is located the University of Freibourg, 

 noted for its strong medical staff, and to the average American 

 naturalist remembered as the institution with which Weismann, 

 the eminent zoologist and student of evolution, has long been 

 connected. 



It was my privilege a year ago to attend several of Dr. 

 Weismann's lectures, and it may interest readers of The 

 Naturalist to hear some of the personal features of these 

 events. It is quite the custom in Germany for the chief or head 

 of a department to give an elementary course, and this is the 

 case with Professor Weismann. The number of advanced 

 students seem.ed to be comparatively small. The course which 

 attracted the mass of students was an elementary and general 

 course in zoology, differing in no special respect from such out- 

 lines as are ava'lalle in the best text books of the present day; 

 but it was exceedingly popular and the great attraction was the 

 man, the lecturer, and many students with whom I talked told 

 me that their main reason for coming to Freibourg was the fact 

 that they would have the privilege of studying under Weismann. 

 Another reason possibly for the head of a department giving 

 elementary courses may be due to the fact that the German 

 professor's salary derived from the university itself is not large, 

 but each full professor has the privilege of charging a fee to all 

 students taking lis lectures and these fees constitute the large 

 share of his revenue, therefore it is not surprising that the ele- 

 mentary courses should be elected bv the full professor who is 

 permitted to charge a fee. 



It is interesting to note the manner in which the work is 

 given and lectures conducted. Weismann is now well advanced 

 in years a man between seventy-five and eighty , tall, of dignified, 

 cultured presence white hair and beard. He wears very heavy 

 lens glasses, owing to weakened and waning vision . The lecture 

 period is forty-five minutes in length and begins fifteen minutes 

 after the hour, at which time the professor enters the class, and 

 in the case of Weismann was always greeted with applause by 

 his waiting students who had previously secured seats in the 

 larqe auditorium The lecturer immediatelv advanced to a 



