THE AUTHOR'S NOTE TO TEACHERS. 



THIS book is intended chiefly for the use of Primary Schools 

 and for the younger pupils in Higher Schools and Seminaries. 

 So much has, of late, been urged by those who take an interest 

 on the subject of education, in favour of introducing the Natural 

 Sciences into Common Schools, that it is to be hoped that the 

 time is not far distant when plants and mineral' .vill be as fa- 

 miliar objects of study in our District schc . -Bouses, as the 

 spelling book now is. Perhaps some parent or teacher may be 

 ready to inquire, whether it is recommended that such studies 

 shall take the place of reading, spelling, or writing by no 

 means ; but every teacher knows that there are many listless 

 and vacant moments when even the most active of his pupils 

 seem tired of their monotonous pursuits ; habit and respect for 

 their teacher may lead them to sit still and do no mischief; 

 they may even look demurely upon the open page before them, 

 as if intent upon studying a spelling or reading lesson, or it 

 may be of geography or grammar lessons which they have (to 

 use a homely phrase) hammered their minds upon, until they 

 have become unconscious of any impression from them ; but it 

 is not difficult to perceive by the heavy eye, and inanimate 

 countenance, that the intellect slumbers. These are the mo- 

 ments when the experienced teacher feels the need of some 

 new stimulant to be applied to the torpid powers, which it is 

 his business to strengthen and develope by keeping in action. 

 Instead then of saying with magisterial dignity, or peevish fret- 

 fulness, "John, (or Lucy.) you have been sitting idle this half 

 hour ! why don't you mind your book ?" he who understands 

 the operation of the human mind, is aware that this is the very 

 way still more to disgust his pupil with his pursuits ; and such 

 a teacher will assuredly be ready to adopt some new method of 

 awakening attention. We will suppose then, instead of a re- 

 buke for idleness, the teacher should kindly address his pupil 

 in something like the following terms. " You have been sc 

 long engaged upon a certain set of studies, that I perceive they 

 have become tiresome ; I think of introducing a new study into 

 school ; to-morrow I shall give a lecture on Botany ; you may 

 bring with you all the wild lilies, (or all the violets, or nnv 



