BIOLOGICAL TEACHING IN COLLEGES. 581 



not or will not teach observation, then it must be taught in college, 

 no matter if it does seem to be child's work. In colleges, however, 

 it is absolutely impossible to find the time or the means for training 

 every one to become an observer, and we are obliged to distinguish 

 between two different classes of persons in arranging courses in biol- 

 ogy. The first and much the larger class in Eastern colleges includes 

 all those who are preparing themselves for literary, legal, and other 

 similar pursuits, and who wish to know the most important facts about 

 animal and plant life, but who, after they have entered college, can 

 not afford the time to train themselves for strictlji scientific studies. 

 This class must of necessity be taught by lectures and, perhaps, a few 

 demonstrations, and, as far as the method is concerned, it is the same 

 as that pursued in teaching literature, history, or other subjects in 

 which general information is sought. Nothing further need be said 

 with regard to biological instruction intended for this class of students, 

 for in several of our colleges the instruction of this kind is distinctly 

 good and constantly improving. 



The second class of students includes those who are intending to 

 become professional naturalists, teachers of natural science, or medi- 

 cal practi'tioners ; in short, all who need to know plants and animals 

 practically and the methods of biological investigation. Of course, 

 every naturalist and teacher of natural science should have a practi- 

 cal acquaintance with plants and animals. So, too, should every re- 

 spectable physician be trained in methods of biological study. To 

 him every patient should be a field of research. By his own powers 

 of observation he is to find out signs and symptoms of which the pa- 

 tient can not or will not give information. Merely listening to lect- 

 ures, however entertaining or full of information, is not enough for 

 this class of students. Woi-k in the laboratory is necessary, and^ 

 in my opinion, that work had better precede any detailed course of 

 lectures. 



Being myself merely a botanist, I can only speak of the way in 

 which plant-life may be taught, but, as far as the method of instruc- 

 tion is concerned, what is true of botany is, I presume, essentially true 

 of zoology. Considering the age of college students, and the neces- 

 sity of using the compound microscope, if one intends to make a prac- 

 tical study of biology, it seems to me best that the instructor should 

 begin with some simple form like yeast or a unicellular alga. 



There are other reasons besides, which make it desirable to begin 

 with the smaller forms which can only be studied with the micro- 

 scope. As it is necessary, under present conditions, to begin by 

 teaching a student how to observe for himself, it is better to use for 

 this purpose small forms which he has probably never seen before, or, 

 if he has read books on biology, a mixture of several small forms 

 which he can not recognize from pictures. The plan of recommend- 

 ing any text-book in the beginning is very injurious. If books are 



