Introduction 



of Statement possible only to the original observer. To his keen- 

 ness of vision he has added a wonderful knowledge of the literature 

 of the subject and a willingness always to give generous credit to 

 other investigators. 



It seems strange that a people so boastfully practical as we 

 Americans take pride in being should permit tiny creatures to rob 

 us of billions of dollars worth of property and kill directly or in- 

 directly great numbers of our population. We pay little or no at- 

 tention to the subject in the education of our youth. During the 

 last quarter century the attention of teachers and pupils in our 

 schools when turned toward nature has been chiefly focused — 

 through books — upon the larger forms of animal life no longer gen- 

 erally available for direct observation, to the complete neglect of 

 even more wonderful creatures probably living within the confines 

 of the school yard. And so it happens that the San Jose Scale can 

 sweep through the country and destroy millions of fruit trees or the 

 Gypsy Moth Caterpillars can bring death to forests and orchards 

 with almost no attempt on the part of the general public to prevent 

 the damage. 



It is sincerely to be hoped that in the near future educators 

 will realize to an increasing extent that any adequate programme 

 of school work involves a broad conception of the relation of each 

 child to his environment. A knowledge of Nature should be a 

 fundamental part of his school experience and should be as broad 

 and vital as possible. Every one knows that young children have 

 an instinctive interest in all living things, both plants and animals. 

 For generations the schools have been doing practically nothing 

 to give children an opportunity to develop this instinct by experi- 

 ence with living things during their school course. This is true 

 to a very great extent to-day, although every one acknowledges 

 that one of the great reforms in modern education was started by 

 Froebel, when he devised the kindergarten as the basis of children's 

 education, and the main idea of the kindergarten was that each 

 child should have real experience with living things. 



There is abundant reason for believing that the point of view 

 of the nature work in the lower grades should be that of direct ac- 

 quaintance — making through sense impressions and motor reac- 

 tions. The more extended such an acquaintance the better, 

 provided sufficient attention is given that all the images be firmly 

 fixed in the pupils' minds. Pupils come to the kindergarten and 



