the meaning of the word. The Museum rat exhibit is presented, 

 conspicuous characteristic of the rat are brought out by observa- 

 tion and its habits discussed. The cat and the bat are similarly- 

 treated. In case of the cat a Museum specimen is not neces- 

 sary, a living cat being preferable by far. Here pictures from 

 the Museum exhibits help to give the child an idea of the large 

 family to which the cat belongs, establishing for the lion and tiger 

 of his story books a definite relationship with the household pet. 

 A baby lion cub, one of the Museum exhibits, has proved most 

 successful in this respect. Many of the pictures in the Museum 

 exhibits are known as story pictures. These are used to em- 

 phasize the human relation and to develop the child's imagina- 

 tion, as well as to familiarize him with the work of good artists. 

 As one animal after another is taken up similarities and differ- 

 ences are pointed out. It must be confessed that the one con- 

 spicuous flaw in the practical working of the course so far has 

 been the rat. Many teachers apparently skipped the rat page 

 of their readers, at least it might so be inferred from the few who 

 made application for the Museum's attractive exhibit. Birds, 

 butterflies, flowers, fruits, all are taken up in somewhat the fash- 

 ion pointed out or are separately introduced for material for 

 drawing or language lessons. 



Careful study is being made of the working of the course this 

 year. Another year a revision will be made. Ultimately, after 

 revision based on experience, courses for all primary grades will 

 be published. A teacher's manual is being prepared to serve as a 

 guide^to the courses. 



But publication of courses and teacher's manuals belong to the 

 Museum's unrealized new ideal for the future. The ideal is grow- 

 ing. Looking ahead it shows us nature study taught and well 

 taught in every school and grade in Charleston, nay more, in the 

 county, and even throughout the entire state; and leading the 

 way everywhere we see the travelling exhibits of the Charleston 



Museum. 



Laura M. Bragg. 



74 



