1903] Nature Study — No. 7. i4 



habits, how it overcomes obstacles, how and where it thrives 

 best, what it yields, how it takes substances from the earth and 

 air, and converts them into food, these appeal more strongly to 

 the active and enquiring child than making flowers into hay — ^dry 

 work for a young naturalist. A mounted specimen of a bird, or 

 a limp and lifeless body handed round in a class, may explain 

 some details of structure. But is this all .-^ The happy bounding 

 flight, the joyous song, the services of birds to man, the sacred- 

 ness of life, kindness to animals — are not these of more impor- 

 tance than structure and names ? The lack of intelligent interest 

 in plants and animals on the part of most young persons is due 

 to the way in which the subject is presented to them in school. 



Do teachers realize how fascinating it would be for their 

 pupils to measure the distances along the roads which they walk 

 over every day, to know the common wild flowers, trees, birds, 

 and small animals by the wayside ? To know the heights of the 

 hills, the length of streams, the areas of fields and lakes near by. 

 To have a portion of the school or home garden to tend and study 

 t-he conditions of plant growth, along with bird and insect life ? 

 To be interested in the little animals that live in the fields and 

 woods, and to have domestic animals to take care of daily ? In 

 these and a hundred other pursuits the enthusiastic teacher may 

 lead the way, and stimulate and direct young people to make in- 

 vestigations. The children should be told as little as possible and 

 be encouraged to find out as much as possible for themselves. 

 It is wonderful how much may be accomplished by giving a boy 

 or girl a start. 



A friend of mine who is interested in the stars was staying at 

 a house in the country for a week. She taught one of the boys of 

 the family the positions of a few of the constellations, the planets 

 in view, and some double stars; lent him a map of the heavens 

 and a book on astronomy. The boy was an apt pupil, and the 

 summer and winter skies have since been to him and many of his 

 young friends the source of untold interest, opening a new world 

 and sweetening hours ot toil. 



There is no need that country life should be monotonous. 

 The fall of the leaves in autumn, the winter's sleep of plants 

 under nature's protective garment, the ever-new awakening in 



