43Q NOTES AND COMMENTS [junb 



Fund " to which donations are solicited from all interested in the 

 spread of natural science and of popular education. Donations may 

 be paid to Lloyd's Bank (Essex Field Club Account — Town Side), 72 

 Lombard Street, E.C. ; or to the Treasurer, W. C. Waller, Esq., 

 Loughton, Essex. A point to which Natural Science has often drawn 

 attention should be noted : " Under the agreement, should the Club 

 at any future time be unable or unwilling to continue to control the 

 museum, it will revert to the Corporation, to be by them maintained 

 and managed precisely on the lines laid down in the agreement. 

 This stipulation gives a warrant of permanence to the museum — a 

 matter of the utmost importance." 



It is hoped that the museum may be opened to the public in the 

 spring of 1900. 



Nature - Study. 



We are pleased to observe the regulation in the code of the Scotch 

 Education Department for 1899 recommending the teaching of Nature 

 Knowledge, and this on the basis of regional survey. This change has 

 come as a surprise to teachers, but opportunities to prepare for it are 

 already beginning to be offered them by educational authorities. In the 

 past the only regular means available have been the museums and informal 

 general excursions of the various local natural history societies, or the occa- 

 sional school expeditions conducted by every effective science teacher. 

 Among more organised efforts may be mentioned those of the School 

 Board of Dunfermline with the help of Mr. Henry Beveridge of 

 1'itreavie, who have for several years past arranged regular series of 

 school excursions throughout the main centres of natural, historical, or 

 social interest. These were at first conducted by Dr. Herbertson and 

 Mr. T. R, Marr, and since by Mr. Iiobert Smith, B.Sc. During the 

 past few years also the County Council of Perthshire has been specially 

 active in organising central classes for the training of teachers in Physical 

 and Natural Science, and the movement seems in a fair way to obtain 

 fuller scope. One example of the quickened interest is to be seen in 

 the trebling of the number of teachers attending the evening Botany 

 Class at University College, Dundee. 



In the same connection we note that Mi - . Henry Coates of Perth 

 has recently granted prizes to the best essays written by Perthshire 

 school children on a visit to the admirable museum of the Perthshire 

 Natural History Society. The essays were corrected by Mr. W. J. 

 Caiman, B.Sc, whose report, though at the same time encouraging, 

 shows the very urgent need of a systematic extension of this mode of 

 utilising local museums in school education ; and of the necessity of 

 teaching both child and teacher alike what and how to observe. 



