200 



We may classify them roughly into three great groups, which, for want 

 of better terms, I shall designate as " fossils," "special microscopists," and 

 " all around biologists." In the brief time at my command I have not 

 been able to gather the statistics concerning these three groups, but Prof. 

 B. W. Evermann, in 1891, wrote to the different high schools of the state 

 for information on this subject and the answers he received disclosed the 

 fact that to the class I designate as " fossils " belongs as yet a very large 

 number, rather let us say a large majority of the high school biology 

 teachers of the state ; but, and let us be devoutly thankful, their number 

 is steadily decreasing. 



They teach Steele's Zoology by rote. They never see or use a specimen 

 unless it be a horned toad from Texas or a dried sea urchin from Buz- 

 zard's Bay. They have no zoological works of reference except the pic- 

 tures in the back of Webster's unabridged dictionary. They spend days in 

 descanting with their classes upon such important biological facts as the 

 " comparative length of the tail in the different species of monkeys; " or, 

 as in a case gone down into history from one of the leading high schools 

 of the state, "on which foot of the Ornithorhyncus does the webbing ex- 

 tend past the toes ? " That I am not using hyperbole in speaking of their 

 teaching, let me read you verbatim from their standard author, Steele, the 

 sole fact which he gives concerning the leading family of one of the seven 

 great orders of insects. Here it is : 



ACRIDID-K. 



" The grasshoppers or locusts of the western states belong to this family. 

 They come in such multitudes as to give the sunlight the yellow tinge of 

 dense smoke and to eat a large field of grain in an hour." 



And yet, as proven conclusively by Prof. Evermann, the great majority 

 of the high schools of the state, where zoology is taught, use Steele's book 

 alone and teach such bosh by rote. What a travesty upon nature teach- 

 ing! What a blot upon our boasted advanced scientific methods I 



As, yielding to the demands of the times, the "fossil " steps aside, -he 

 often makes way for the " special microscopist." The latter is a product 

 of the one sided development theory at present so conspiciious in some of 

 our higher institutions of learning. He is an evoluted histological and 

 embryological specialist with a B. S. after his name, and a summer or 

 two's experience at some seaside laboratory to give him added prestige. 

 He is an expert in the use of the microscope and microtome. He knows 

 every detail concerning the embryology of the sea-squid and the develop. 



