4 INTRODUCTION 



Dr. Overton's experiments in interesting the children of 

 his native town in nature have proved to be of wide interest. 

 No phase of his work has been more important pedagogically 

 than his success in getting his pupils to make notes in the field. 

 Each one of these notebooks which I have examined is a mine 

 of wealth to the teacher of English, if she knows how to work 

 it. In them are recorded observations about bird and beast, 

 flower and insect, showing where the child's interest in the 

 outdoor world was aroused. Such records, taken as start- 

 ing points for further personal observations and for reading, 

 will be a source of most interesting information about familiar 

 objects, and must surely result in language lessons which will 

 delight both pupil and teacher. The whole plan of Dr. Over- 

 ton's book seems to me simple and excellent, and it can not 

 fail to be of great use to the grade teacher. 



ANNA BOTSFORD COMSTOCK. 



Bureau of Nature Study, 

 Cornell University. 



