238 THE NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [ 2 : 7 -oct., 1906 



organs. Next it will be well to examine several flowers to see if all 

 have the same parts. Those that are most often absent are likely to 

 be least important. Next it may be well to devote some time to a 

 discussion of the relative importance of the facts observed. This 

 will necessitate the discussion of the uses of the flower and its parts. 



If a plant can be obtained that has both flowers and fruit at the 

 same time it is easy to infer the use of the flower. The use of the 

 pistil will readily be apparent, but stamens and petals will need more 

 time and further observations on the visits of bees and the like. How 

 does the insect find the flower? For what does he visit it ? What 

 does he carry off on the hair on his legs ? Does he visit any flower 

 that comes in his path or does he visit flowers of one kind only ? 



While animals are as a rule more interesting than plants, plants 

 have the great advantage of availability and it is possible for each 

 child to have a specimen. Where the school-garden is present it 

 affords the ideal facilities for nature-study and for making the con- 

 nection between nature-study and the other interests of life. 



The germination and growth of the seeds and the care and develop- 

 ment of plants cultivated for a purpose have an interest that seeds 

 germinated in a pot to be pulled up and examined can never have. 

 The appeal is here to the practical side of the child's nature, to that 

 which impels him to do something that will produce concrete results 

 that he can utilize for his own needs and pleasures. Hardly will the 

 seeds have started before the weeds will appear and will have to be 

 combated. Naturally the child will learn the names of the weeds and 

 also which kinds are most troublesome. Then he will want to know 

 why they are so troublesome. What characteristics have they that 

 enable them to thrive and crowd out his cultivated plant unless com- 

 bated with energy on his part? Then insects will attack his plants, 

 eating root, stem, and leaf, flower and fruit. From this the child 

 will learn naturally the name and life-history of the most common and 

 familiar insects. He will learn to distinguish beetle from bug and 

 moth from butterfly as naturally as he learns to know dogs from cats 

 or horses from cows. 



Easily also the child will learn to discriminate between enemies and 

 helpers, he will learn that lady-bug and tiger-beetle, dragon-fly and 

 toad are valuable assistants, to be encouraged and helped. Birds 

 will readily be seen catching injurious insects and will be given a place 

 as helpers. This will naturally again lead to learning the names of 

 the helpers and a desire to foster and protect them. A further 



