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THE AMERICAN MUSEUM’S REPTILE GROUPS IN 
RELATION TO HIGH SCHOOL BIOLOGY 
By George W. Hunter 
Chief of Biology, DeWitt Clinton High School, New York City 
é 
HE concept of “adaptation to 
environment” is one of the 
most difficult to teach pupils 
of high school age, whereas it is one of 
the most valuable from the civic stand- 
point.! Particularly is this true of New 
1The DeWitt Clinton High School of New 
York City has classes in biology each year 
containing between two and three thousand 
young men. The American Book Company has 
recently published a small volume by Mr. 
Hunter on civic biology for high schools, from 
which the following is quoted. The quotation 
gives a glimpse of the aim of the work: ‘‘ Field 
{and Museum] trips, when properly organized 
and later used as a basis for discussion in the 
class room, make a firm foundation on which 
to build the superstructure of a course in 
biology. The normal environment, its relation 
York City boys and girls, because of 
their lack of previous knowledge of the 
to the artificial environment of the city, the 
relations of mutual give and take existing be- 
tween plants and animals, are better shown by 
field and museum trips than in any other way.” 
_...'*Many of us live in the city, where the 
crowded streets, the closely packed apartments 
and the city playgrounds form our environment. 
It is very artificial at best. ... We must remember 
that in learning something of the natural environ- 
ment of other living creatures we may better 
understand our own environment and our rela- 
tion to it.’’....‘‘The physiological functions of 
plants and animals, the hygiene of the individual 
within the community, conservation and the bet- 
terment of existing plant and animal products, 
the big underlying biological concepts {such as 
adaptation] on which society is built, have all been 
used [in the book] to the end that the pupil will 
become a better, stronger and more unselfish 
citizen.’’— Editor. 
405 
