250 The Field Nationalist's Quarterly Nov. 



raphy. The work of board schools, so far as the pupils 

 are concerned, was ordinary, and therefore of great value as 

 a cue to elementary school teachers. The school journeys 

 of some pupils of a London board school, illustrated by 

 full-plate photographs done by a teacher, the gardening of 

 pupils of a Wesleyan school, and the tracings of the sun's 

 meridian on the 21st of each month for a year as drawn on 

 the window-panes of a Welsh village school, were eloquent, 

 though by no means solitary, examples of the splendid work 

 done by some elementary schools south of the Tweed. 



When we consider the work of the higher schools set 

 before us in the form of Nature Study note-books, doubtless 

 selected for their exceptional merit, we admit we are face to 

 face with a species of note-taking which we have never seen 

 equalled. Very striking, too, was the teaching apparatus 

 made by Miss Von Wyss, in this instance illustrating Pond 

 Life and Fungi. The Continental influence is here obvious. 



The record of gardening work done by a Welsh school 

 was admirable, and of great practical value to teachers in- 

 tending to work or already working on similar lines. 



The exhibit as a whole proved that the best pedagogical 

 method is being employed — a co-ordination of the work of 

 observation, comparison, deduction, and expression, both 

 from the literary and the scientific view of the subject. 

 Above everything there is telling evidence that the indi- 

 viduality of the teacher, and not the supply of money or 

 apparatus (within reasonable limits), is the determining 

 factor in the successful teaching of this subject. 



We are of opinion that more might be done by the 

 authorities of the large museums throughout the country 

 to aid teachers and scholars, by drawing their attention 

 to the exhibits to be looked at, and where they may be 

 seen. The illustrated guide of the Leeds Museum auth- 

 orities is an example of the help that could be given in 

 this direction. We trust that exhibitions such as this will 

 become more and more common in our towns : nothing 

 could be better calculated to open the eyes of the general 

 public to the great results that are to be obtained, and to 

 encourage both pupils and teachers to persevere on the lines 

 of true Nature Study. 



