SCIENCE AND EDUCATION 45 
prevention of a disease like typhoid without the education of 
all persons in that community in the reasons for exterminating 
the fly, based upon a study of the structure and habits of that . 
animal. This in turn demands some knowledge of the life his- 
tory of the fly, for effective measures toward extermination all | 
presuppose such knowledge. Studies of this sort give to the d 
individual more than the training in powers of observation and 
reasoning which frequently are considered the goal of zoolog- | 
ical training. The pupil is not only given possession of facts 
which, put into practice, make him a better citizen, but at the 
same time he is given a distinct advantage over those who are 
not possessed of this kind of zoological knowledge. 
Tew persons lead an existence which does not at some time 
or other bring them into contact with insect pests of house- 
hold, crops, domestic animals, or of man himself. All effective 
means of combating and controlling such pests find their solu- 
-tion in the feeding habits and life history of the insects. Simple 
problems in development and in the structure of the mouth 
parts of the insects, which are correlated directly with the 
feeding habits, are studies which may be taken up to good 
advantage by the average student of high school age. 
The enactment of fish and game laws, and laws for the pro- 
tection of song birds all have as their aim, directly or indi- 
rectly, the conservation of the resources of our country. Per- 
sistent violators of these laws are, on the whole, the ignorant 
classes of society for whom the claims of personal liberty are 
stronger than the demands of social obligation. Bird protec- 
tion laws would have much greater effect if more people had 
definite knowledge of the economie importance of our birds in 
holding insect pests of fruit, grains, and other crops in check. 
Game laws would cease to be looked upon as infringements 
upon personal rights if greater numbers of our citizens were 
informed upon the breeding habits of our game animals and 
understood the severity of the struggle for existence among 
such animals as population becomes denser over the entire 
continent. State and federal officials would find not only sup- 
port in enforcing existing laws but demands for more effective 
legislation if the reasons underlying such laws were more fully 
understood. This would unquestionably be the case if more 
i 4 
