1 3 4 THE NA TURR-S TUD Y RR VIE IV [ 3 : 5 -mav, 1907 



Life," says that "To allow a child to grow up without planting a 

 seed or rearing a plant is a crime against civilized society." 

 These quotations show a deep appreciation of the value of contact 

 with nature to develop that factor in character which we have 

 classed under section T. The ethical effect of such work is 

 gradually coming to be realized. Must we not see also that the 

 rearing of young animals, particularly birds and mammals, is a 

 still more potent influence. The child that has never seen a cat 

 nurse and care for a litter of kittens has lost something of in- 

 calculable value. One of the most potent factors in placing the 

 ethical feelings of the civilized races so far above the plane of the 

 hunting savage was the development of altruism through the 

 care given to flocks and herds. Do we make too much of this 

 influence? How high an ethical ideal do you find expressed in 

 the words, "He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather 

 the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and he 

 shall gently lead those that are with young?" How rich a 

 tribute to the character of Jesus in his title of "Divine Shep- 

 herd?" 



It should not be necessary to further point out the relation of 

 nature-study to the lettered sections of the tables. The stu- 

 dent of comparative religions, particularly if he gives his atten- 

 tion to older forms, will find enough to convince him that the 

 part played by animal and plant in the development of these 

 forms was a very important one. If we question as to the 

 value we might obtain from nature-study in the development of 

 the will, let us examine the effect it might be made to give on so 

 fundamental a condition of intellectual operations as voluntary 

 attention. Here we may have that interest which is so powerful 

 a holder and trainer of attention and Professor James is author- 

 ity for the very sweeping statement that attention so held 

 "makes experience more than it is made by it." Of the millions 

 of items present to the senses he also says, "Only those items 

 which I notice shape my mind." There is food here for reflection. 



Is it not time to disabuse our minds of the idea that anyone can 

 teach nature-study? Ought we not to insist at least on breadth 

 of mind, some knowledge of the field in its various branches, and 

 a sympathetic love of both nature and the child? And again is it 

 not also unwise for us to assert that the love of nature is the 

 only thing we expect our course to cultivate in the child? There 



