February, 11] COMSTOCK: TEACHING METHODS 59 



planned for him individually; and the nature of it is determined by his 

 needs and attainments. Usually this work is largely research; and it 

 is expected to be independent and original. All of the facilities of the 

 department and of the university Hbrary are placed at his disposal. 

 He is given advice as it is needed; and is required to make frequent 

 reports on the progress of his investigation. When these reports are 

 made, the results obtained are carefully scrutinized, and frequently 

 suggestions are made as to methods of attac"king the problem other 

 than those already employed. But the constant effort of the instructor 

 is to teach the student self-reliance. The completed thesis must be 

 satisfactor}^ in style and composition; and if illustrated, as is usually 

 the case, the illustrations must be suitable for publication. 



At the final examination the student is examined not merely on the 

 subject of his thesis, but also on the fields in which his major and minor 

 subjects have been taken. A major and one minor are required for the 

 Master's degree, and a major and two minors for the Doctor's degree. 

 These subjects must be in different fields, under the direction of dif- 

 ferent teachers. The obvious object of this requirement is to prevent 

 too narrow specialization. 



There is space merely to refer to a course in German entomological 

 reading, a course on the morphology and classification of the Arach- 

 nida, and to the entomological seminar which meets weekly for the 

 discussion of current entomological literature, and at which advanced 

 students present the results of their investigations. Much is made of 

 this feature of the seminar, as, by means of it, the entire department 

 can keep in touch with the more important work done by the different 

 members of it; and the students presenting papers get experience in 

 public speaking. At this seminar the members of the staff of the 

 department also present the results of their investigations. 



In conclusion, I wish to say a word about undue specialization in 

 entomology. Frequently young men come to us who wish to study 

 only entomology, and sometimes those even who wish to devote them- 

 selves to the study of a single order of insects; such specialization is 

 never permitted. Usually such students need one or two years' study 

 of languages and of other sciences than entomology to fit them to take 

 up special entomological work profitably. And even w^hen they are 

 fitted to take up this work, it is not best for them to devote themselves 

 exclusively to a single division of the subject. For example, the man 

 who is fitting himself to be an experiment station entomologist should 

 study insect morphology and systematic entomology as well as econ- 

 omic entomology. As "the worst weed in corn may be corn" so a too 

 exclusive study of entomology is the poorest kind of preparation for 

 an entomologist. 



