274 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Jan. 



mutatis mutandis: the lecture is given, interspersed with ques- 

 tions, illustrations, and experiments, and the boys take rough 

 notes which are re-cast into an intelligible and presentable form in 

 note books. These are sent up about once a fortnight, looked 

 over, corrected and returned ; and they form at once the test of 

 how far the matter has been understood, the test of the industry, 

 care and attention of the boy, and an excellent subject for their 

 English composition. 



Examination papers are given to the sets every three or four 

 weeks, and to these and to the note books marks are assigned 

 which have weight in the promotion from form to form. The 

 marks assigned to each subject are proportional to the number of 

 school-hours spent on that subject. 



There are school prizes given annually for proficiency in each of 

 the branches of natural science above mentioned. 



This leads us, lastly, to speak of the results : — 



First, as to the value of the teaching itself; secondly, as to its 

 eifects on the other branches of study. 



The experience gained at Rugby seems to point to these con- 

 clusions : — That botany, structural and classificatory, may be 

 taught with great effect, may interest a large number of boys, and 

 is the best subject to start with. That its exactness of terminology, 

 the necessity of care in examining the flowers, and the impossibility 

 of superficial knowledge are its first recommendations ; and .the 

 successive gradations in the generalizations as to the unity of 

 type of flowers, and the principles of a natural classification, are of 

 great value to the cleverer boys. The teaching must be based on 

 personal examination of flowers, assisted by diagrams, and every- 

 thing like cram strongly discouraged. 



Mechanics are found rarely to be done well by those who are 

 not also the best mathematicians. But it is a subject which in 

 its applications interests many boys, and would be much better 

 done, and would be correspondingly more profitable, if the 

 standard of geometry and arithemetic were higher than it is. 

 The ignorance of arithmetic which is exhibited by most of the 

 new boys of fourteen or fifteen would be very surprising, if it had not 

 long since ceased to surprise the only persons who are acquainted 

 with it ; and it forms the main hinderance to teaching mechanics. 

 Still, under the circumstances, the results are fairly satisfactory. 



The geological teaching need not be discussed at length, as it is 

 temporary, at least in the middle school. Its value is more literary 



