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biology, general science, and hygiene), I have been unable to tell 
which subject I was in until I asked (unless I had it on my card), 
as I found the teachers and pupils all doing about the same thing. 
I came to the conclusion that biology, in our own school, is, in 
part, a misnomer, because there is a great deal of civics in it, and 
I have come to the conclusion, too, that general science, as far as 
I can discover, is not a science at all. I find that general science 
seems to be a conglomeration of information, interesting and 
amusing, very much like Steele’s “ Fourteen Weeks,” in very in- 
teresting form, in very interesting books; I have enjoyed looking 
through some eight or ten of these books, and I find them most 
attractive, and I know they are attractive to students. Now as 
to the value of general science. J am open minded. I have no 
prejudices. JI can endorse exactly what Mr. Rexford just said. 
I think if I had my way, I should place general science in the last 
year of the grammar school. I realize that it is attractive, and 
covers the points that the boy is directly interested in, but the 
topics are not connected; it does not begin to have the unity that 
the biology course has, and, in my opinion, the situation calls not 
for the displacement of biology, but for the readjustment of it. 
I feel that these four subjects have much matter in common, and 
they should be merged and presented in first year science. 
know the biology courses differ very much in schools, and still I 
think that biology has surely a claim to continue; I, for one, would 
vote for its continuation, with some modification. 
The Chairman: We are glad to welcome Principal Denbigh, of 
the Packer Collegiate Institute, formerly principal of Morris 
High School. 
Principal Denbigh: Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen: The 
subject of this evening’s conference really makes me feel young 
again, because I can remember fifteen years ago when we threshed 
out this same question. The subject of biology was very near 
being banished from the New York public schools about that 
time, how near, I think, some of us did not know. But it was 
finally decided to retain it, and it is my opinion that it is growing 
to be a more and more practically taught subject all the time. 
Now I think of it to-night in its general relation to education, and 
I want to ask you whether I am right or not in believing that, 

