3i8 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



gneiss, mica schist, granite, sandstone, limestones, quartz, mica, and 

 feldspar. 



As in the laboratories, so here the effort is made to teach 

 the children to reason, to read the story told by the individual plant, 

 or animal, or stone, or wind, or cloud. A special effort is made to 

 teach them to interpret everyday Nature as it lies around them. For 

 this reason frequent short excursions into the city streets are made. 

 Those who smile and think that there is not much of Nature to be 

 found in a city street are those who have never looked for it. 

 Enough material for study has been gathered in these excursions to 

 make them a feature of this work, even more than the longer ones 

 which they take twice a year into the country. 



Last year I made not less than eighty such short excursions, each 

 time with classes of about thirty-five. They were children of from 

 seven to fourteen years of age. Without their hats, taking with 

 them note-books, pencils, and knives, they passed with me to the 

 street. The passers-by stopped to gaze at us, some with expressions 

 of amusement, others of astonishment; approval sometimes, quite 

 frequently the reverse. But I never once saw on the part of the 

 children a consciousness of the mild sensation that they were creating. 

 They went for a definite purpose, which was always accomplished. 



The children of the first and second years study nearly the same 

 objects. Those of the third and fourth years review this general 

 work, studying more thoroughly some one type. When they enter 

 the fifth year, they have considerable causal knowledge of the fa- 

 miliar plants and animals, of the stones, and of the weather. But, 

 what is more precious to them, they are sufficiently trained to be 

 able to look at new objects with a truly " seeing eye." 



The course of study now requires general ideas of physiology, 

 and, in consequences, the greater portion of their time for science is 

 devoted to this subject. I am glad to be able to say, however, that 

 it is not " School Physiology " which they study, but the guinea-pig 

 and The Wandering Jew ! 



In other words, I let them find out for themselves how and what 

 the guinea-pig eats; how and what he expires and inspires; how and 

 why he moves. Along with this they study also plant respiration, 

 transpiration, assimilation, and reproduction, comparing these pro- 

 cesses with those of animals, including themselves. 



The children's interest is aroused and their observation stimulated 

 t>y the constant presence in the room with them of a mother guinea- 

 pig and her child. Nevertheless, I have not hesitated to call in out- 

 side materials to help them to understand the work. A series of 

 lessons on the lime carbonates, therefore, preceded the lessons on 

 respiration; an elephant's tooth, which I happened to have, helped 



