42 THE TEACHING BOTANIST 



material for its use is rapidly accumulating, and will form 

 a large element in the good courses of the future. 



Very important, too, as knowledge is an acquaintance 

 with the different kinds of plants, their modes of life and 

 relationships. This kind of study may well be termed 

 Natural History, which is much broader than structure 

 and classification, for it takes account of habits that 

 explain structure. One limited phase of this subject 

 the structure and classification of the flowering plants 

 is more studied in this country than any other phase 

 of Botany, and it is usually supplemented by copious 

 memorizing of terminology, and often by much labor in 

 the preparation of collections, all of which, while not 

 without value, is yet sadly insufficient and unrepresenta- 

 tive of the science. The study of the Natural History of 

 Plants, in order to be valuable, should be comprehensive 

 and cover all of the leading kinds ; but since time will 

 not permit this to be done in any great detail, it is need- 

 ful to select from each group a few of the most typical 

 and important forms, those which best illustrate the 

 relations of the group to others and its position in the 

 plant-world, and to study these carefully. I think it is 

 much more profitable to study all of the groups, Algse, 

 Fungi, Lichens, Bryophytes, etc., in this way than to 

 study more minutely any one or even several of them. 

 By some teachers this study of groups is made of first 

 importance and takes precedence of the study of prin- 

 ciples which is here recommended ; this is without ques- 



