OF INTEREST TO TEACHERS. 285 



form of desert life, regarding the identity of the species, one 

 can imagine my surprise at being told " I should expect Opuntia 

 ftilgida to assume that appearance under these climatic condi- 

 tions." Specimens of perfectly familiar species in Mr. Orcutt's 

 own collections subject to accidental abnormal conditions are 

 absolutely unrecognizable. 



OF INTEREST TO TEACHERS. 

 Edited by Dr. C. Stuart Gager. 



At a meeting of the Biology Section of the New York High 

 School Teachers Association at the High School of Commerce, 

 on November 3, 1906, Dr. A. J. Grout, of the Boys High School, 

 Brooklyn, read a paper on " A Possible Way of Obtaining 

 Ideal Conditions for High School Biology in Large Cities." 



The tendency of population to concentrate in cities both re- 

 moves the people from the opportunity to become acquainted with 

 living animals and plants at first hand, and also makes them out 

 of sympathy with agricultural pursuits and interests. There is 

 grave social danger in these conditions, and a general knowledge 

 of plant and animal life would go far to remedy the conditions. 

 At the same time no satisfactory teaching of Nature Study and 

 Biology is possible when the material is limited to dissection- 

 table specimens. The ideal conditions for teaching these sub- 

 jects are right on the soil. A plan that will combine the use of 

 out-door methods with our New York City school organization 

 is the following : the city should own a large tract of land within 

 one hour of the high school by the most rapid means of trans- 

 portation ; the pupils should be carried out to the park in specially 

 constructed trains, in charge of teachers, that the travelling time 

 may be used as regular school time ; the biology work should be 

 done on the plots assigned to the pupils, and in a building fitted 

 up with museum, laboratories, breeding rooms, etc. Some such 

 arrangement Mr. Grout believes feasible, and one that will offer 

 ideal conditions for teaching biology to city pupils. 



B. C. Gruenberg, 



Secretary. 



