[FLETCHER] NATURE STUDY IN EDUCATION 157 
The benefits which can be drawn from Nature Study may be 
summarized as follows: 
From the teacher’s standpoint. 
Sympathy with his pupils, and an exhaustless supply of material 
always available to maintain this bond, such as no other study gives. 
New fields of personal and fascinating research of a useful and 
healthful character. 
From the pupil’s standpoint. 
1. Interest in studies. The attractive and novel nature of the 
objects observed catches the attention and induces studious habits, 
which soon extend to all other studies and promote perseverance. 
2. Increased power of observation. With practice the faculties 
of observation and comparison are wonderfully developed, and, with 
this, greater reasoning powers are evolved. 
3. System. The wonderful system everywhere manifested must 
induce systematic and orderly habits—finishing completely everything 
undertaken and having a place for everything and keeping it there. 
4, Neatness. The beauty of neatness will be constantly apparent 
in natural objects, and its nature brought out later on by the necessity 
of making constant notes, which will be useless for future reference 
unless legibly and neatly written. The advantage of neatness will also 
be demonstrated and skill of hand developed in mounting, classifying, 
and arranging numerous specimens, should collections be made. 
5. Patience. There is nothing more necessary for effective work 
in nature than patience, indeed it is so indispensable when studying 
living animals, that little progress can be made without it; the 
development of this virtue then is a natural and unconscious outcome 
of this work. 
6. Literary value. A point which must not be forgotten in this 
connection is the care necessary in expressing all records in concise, 
definite and simple language, so that there may be no danger of doubt 
or misunderstanding. This gives these studies much value in education. 
7. Increase of knowledge. By an intelligent consideration of 
the commonest objects which surround us, we derive an unexpected 
and most useful increase in our practical knowledge of the things which 
make up the world’ we live in, and at the same time find in that know- 
Icdge a source of pure pleasure not provided by any other course of 
study. 
8. Kindness. Nature Study introduces us to many friends among 
the wild birds, animals and insects which we should never have appre- 
ciated as such but for its power in having removed some part of the 
dense cloak of ignorance by which most of these are hidden. These 
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