I40 THE NATURE-STUDY IDEA 



answer that nature-study will not detract from such 

 attainment. Neither does it lead directly to that 

 end, and this is its merit. To be an investigator is 

 to be a professionalist or specialist ; and profession- 

 alists should be developed late in the school life 

 from the few who show talent in that direction. 

 Nature-study is for every one, and therefore is 

 fundamental ; scientific investigation is for the few, 

 and therefore is special. If nature-study opens the 

 sympathies natureward, it will also increase the 

 appreciation of science. Too much are our college 

 students taught to make their reputations as 

 investigators. In fact, the student who goes to 

 college or university to study usually thinks only or 

 mostly of investigation — of his science. I wonder 

 whether a science is not worth acquiring as a 

 specialty for the sake of teaching it? May not 

 reputations be made as high-class teachers of ento- 

 mology or botany, even without ever publishing a 

 bit of technical research? It would be better if 

 the teacher were also the investigator, but there 

 are few persons who can make happy union of the 

 two ideals. 



Will not this nature-study tend still further to over- 

 burden the school P 



The overburdening of the school hours is due as 

 much to the fact that the old subjects do not give 

 way as that new ones are introduced. The old 

 schools had too little variety. Perhaps the new 

 ones have too much congestion. Just now we are 

 in an intermediate stage between the old and the 

 new. Nature-study is not a new subject clamoring 



