436 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



to them — they can scarcely distinguish between sand and clay ; 

 the word " limestone " has no particular significance in their 

 ears ; the term " sedimentary deposit " conveys no meaning to 

 them. Every intelligent person should have at least an 

 elementary acquaintance with the fundamental ideas of geology, 

 in order that he may put some meaning into natural scenery. 

 That we neglect to give such training is truly surprising ; 

 the value of most of the geography we teach is nil in 

 comparison with the value such knowledge should have. 

 When travelling recently in the Yosemite Valley, a region of 

 surpassing interest and loveliness, 1 could not help being 

 impressed by the way in which my companions spent much 

 of their time in tracing resemblances in the rocks to pigs, 

 elephants and such like. The beauty of the scenery made 

 no proper impression on them and they could see no meaning 

 in the rocks or in the vegetation ; neither did the stones preach 

 sermons to them nor had the trees tongues. The significance 

 of Wordsworth's lines came home to me : 



I heard a thousand blended notes, 



While in a grove I sate reclined, 

 In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts 



Bring sad thoughts to the mind. 



To her fair works did Nature link 



The human soul that through me ran, 



And much it grieved my heart to think 

 What man has made of man. 



The passage prefixed by Ruskin to his Modern Painters is 

 even more expressive of the same feeling. 



At as early a stage as possible, water should be taken as 

 a common material worthy of study — in the first instance 

 mainly with reference to its so-called physical properties. I 

 have laid down a very complete scheme of work with water 

 in my collected essays on the Teaching of Scientific Method, 

 Chap. XXIII., to which I will venture to refer you. 



When common materials have been studied very fully, 

 mainly from the physical point of view, it will be time to lay 

 the foundations of chemical belief. If metals have been 

 examined, it will scarcely be necessary to seek an opportunity 

 of drawing attention to the changes which some metals undergo 

 when exposed. I am satisfied, after many years' experience, 

 that no better way of beginning can be made than by inquiring 



