55 



In many instances this kind of work done is due to the lack of training of the 

 "teacher himself and for such a place there is no hope until bv some good fortune 

 the teacher gives wav to a better. But there is a second class where biological 

 work is handicapped in spite of a well trained teacher, and it is this class for which 

 a possible remedy is here suggested. In few high schools indeed does the work in 

 biology fall to a single teacher and occupy all his time. In practically all our 

 secondary schools the teacher of biology has in addition to his zoology or botany 

 classes, three or four other classes that may range from Greek through English 

 Literature to mathematics. Usually his entire school day is occupied in '' hear- 

 ing" recitations. Time spent in laboratory work is usually '"off time." There seems 

 often but one thing left and that is to devote the recitation period in botany or zoology 

 to an exposition of some text, and the actual study of things is very infrequent. 

 If it be asked why the recitation period itself is not devoted to actual laboratory 

 work, one needs but to be reminded that laboratory work requires material, good 

 material, and a fairly large amount of it. And to continue this day after dav 

 • with new forms means an amount of time spent in preparing this materiah which 

 is not available to the high school teacher with his multiplicity of other duties. 

 The teacher is further often ijuite unacquainted with the resources of his neighbor- 

 hood, and is frequently not assigned to his place of duty until after the opportunities 

 for collecting are gone. The writer has had the opportunity of visiting numbers 

 of High Schools, and in almost all instances the apology for doing a low grade of 

 work in botany or zoology was the one that specimens were, in spite of best 

 efforts, not accessible. Sometimes the neighborhood would yield in abundance 

 two or three different forms for study, and these would be studied as the material 

 warranted, and yield all those desirable results which flow from the studv of 

 actual things. But tliese forms are soon exhausted, and the interest of the class 

 is lost in attempts to put in the remaining time in this line of work which the 

 program calls for. 



For this difficulty it seems to me the Academy could offer a remedy. It could 

 establish a central station of supplies from which all secondary schools could draw 

 their material. Being controlled by the Academy, the following things would be 

 assured in this matter : (I) Material well adapted for school work would be se- 

 lected. This material could so be hardened, dried or otherwise preserved as to be 

 in available form during any time of the school year. (2) Exchanges could be 

 made subject to the approval of the station, and so a variety of forms secured for 

 a collection of one or two forms which the teacher's own neighborhood easilv af- 

 forded. A possibility to get a good assortment of forms without the direct outlay 



