62 THE NA TURE-STUD V RE VIE W [s:2-feb., ,909 



and many of its leaflets are taken by visitors. All the flowers 

 are labelled with both common and scientific names, and if a 

 child brings the specimen, his name also appears. There is 

 eager rivalry among the children as to who shall bring the 

 earliest flowers, and during May and June the table is almost 

 entirely supplied by the young people. 



This flower display is easily the most popular feature of the 

 Museum work. Visitors come to it first, and linger by it longer 

 than by any other exhibit; several invalids watch eagerly for 

 the reports of it in the weekly papers; and the children, compet- 

 ing with each other, to see which shall bring the largest number 

 of flowers, gain a familiarity with the specimens and with the 

 fields and woods in which they grow. More valuable yet is the 

 healthy influence which absorbs the children's minds and love of 

 nature to which they unconsciously grow. 



Time was when the chief function of a Museum was the accumu- 

 lation and hoarding of collections. The idea of using these 

 collections for the direct education of the public was foreign to 

 the scheme of management, and an aggressive policy which 

 should result in making the institution a center for the scientific 

 interest, not only of advanced students, but of children, was a 

 possiblity not entertained. 



Today, nearly every museum in America is carrying on some 

 form of educational work for young people under high-school 

 age, as well as for those above, and it may not be rash to predict 

 that, in the near future, teachers of nature-study will find in tha 

 museums of their vicinity, the most valuable aid, incentive and 

 inspiration for their work. 



AMERICAN NATURE-STUDY SOCIETY 



A delay in revision of certain papers intended for March has 

 led the editor to use that issue for the directory of members. 

 It will be mailed next week. 



