STUDY OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY 35 



of a character suitable for teaching in schools, and the same 

 must be said of physical geography. It will be well, therefore, 

 if we briefly consider what parts of the subject are eminently 

 adapted for that purpose. 



The relationship of the earth to celestial bodies must be 

 touched upon during some part of a course, though it is well 

 to do so briefly, and not at the beginning of the study. Apart 

 from this, the physical geographer is specially concerned with 

 climatology, oceanography, geomorphology (especially that part 

 which deals with the study of land forms), and the distribution 

 of organisms. The last named is not suitable for the elementary 

 student of physical geography, as its proper cultivation necessi- 

 tates some knowledge of biology. Such parts of it as can be 

 satisfactorily acquired by the young are best treated as lessons 

 in zoology and botany. 



Oceanography in turn is open to the objection that little can 

 be learned of it by the general body of schoolboys as the result 

 of actual observation. Such parts as are essential to the right 

 study of climatology and geomorphology can be taught in their 

 proper places when those branches are under consideration. It 

 is, then, to climatology and parts of geomorphology that we 

 turn as specially suitable for conveying to the young the 

 principles of the science. 



Let us begin with climatology. Those parts which may be 

 studied with advantage are concerned with cloud formation and 

 weather forecasting. 



How often do we hear the question asked, " What is the 

 weather going to be like to-day ?" How rarely is a satisfactory 

 answer obtainable ! Where the pursuits of the natives of a district 

 necessitate some knowledge of weather changes, one usually 

 consults a native ; elsewhere we turn to the forecast for the day 

 issued by the Meteorological Office. Each of these sources of 

 information may be unsatisfactory. That given in the weather 

 forecast is for wide areas, and may be useless for a limited 

 district ; and, on the other hand, that culled from the native is 

 obtained by observation of local changes, without any know- 

 ledge of the general distribution of weather conditions over wide 

 areas. If the student will observe the sky signs for himself, 

 and has obtained sufficient knowledge of his subject to under- 

 stand not only the weather forecasts, but the observations on 

 which they are founded as displayed on charts, he is in a 



