1896.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 25 



THE BEES OF THE GENUS PEKDITA F. Smith. 

 BY T. D, A. COCKERELL. 



Ill attempting to teach entomology to the students of the New 

 Mexico Agricultural College, the difficulty was early felt, that there 

 existed no work treating in an adequate manner of any group of 

 insects obtainable in the vicinity. While it was possible to indicate 

 the outlines of the subject without any very profound knowledge of 

 the insects which were collected and studied, it appeared to the writer 

 that this superficial method of work could not lead to the best 

 results. It is quite true that an ordinary student has not time to 

 master even the families of insects ; but the writer has long felt 

 persuaded that the plan of teaching the elements without entering 

 into detail is essentially a vicious one, calculated in extreme cases, 

 even to convey a totally false impression of the true lessons of 

 biology. 



In the first place, the main purpose of biological study in educa- 

 tion is not so much to load the mind with information, as to prompt 

 a habit of observation and deduction. Owing to the unfortunate 

 trend of the present educational system, the students almost inva- 

 riably come to the entomology class prepared to learn by heart any 

 lessons that may be assigned to them, but very ill-prepared to 

 notice what has not been actually pointed out. It is, perhaps, not 

 an exaggeration to say that the average junior or senior student in a 

 college possesses less inclination and ability to notice and compare 

 than a child of from five to ten years of age. 



The entomological studies, if successful, should tend to break 

 down this acquired mental habit, and restore in some measure the 

 inquisitiveness of childhood. Therefore, nothing can be worse than 

 limiting the student's knowledge by what may be written in a text- 

 book, and checking his budding interest in every direction by " I 

 don't know," with the implication that it is no use trying to find 

 out. The idea that some facts are to be regarded by the student, 

 and all others ignored, is an entire perversion of the proper spirit of 

 biological inquiry. 



