6 The Nature-Study Idea 



Nature-study, then, is not science. It Is not 

 knowledge. It Is not facts. It Is spirit. It Is 

 an attitude of mind. It concerns Itself with the 

 child's outlook on the world. 



Nature-study will endure, because It Is natural 

 and of universal application. Methods will 

 change and will fall Into disrepute; Its name 

 will be dropped from courses of study; here and 

 there It will be Incased In the schoolmaster's 

 "method" and Its life will be smothered; now 

 and then it will be over-exploited; with some 

 persons It will be a fad: but the spirit will live. 



So common is the misconception of the mean- 

 ing and mission of the nature-study movement, 

 that I cannot resist the temptation to bring 

 together in book form a few notes and essays on 

 some of the more salient features of It, even If 

 the resulting book lack somewhat In homogeneity 

 and have some repetitions. These pieces hav ^ 

 been written at Intervals in the past six years. 

 Most of them were prepared for specifical occa- 

 sions, for the purpose of discussing disputed 

 points or of answering challenges; some have 

 been written specially for this collection. Some 



