GENERAL INTRODUCTION 



I. THE MOTIVE OF NATURE STUDY 



Happy is he who lives to understand. 

 Not human nature only, but explores 

 All natures, to the end that he may find 

 The law that governs each ; and where begins 

 The union, the partition where, that makes 

 Kind and degree, among all visible Beings ; 

 The constitutions, powers, and faculties, 

 Which they inherit, cannot step beyond, 

 And cannot fall beneath ; that do assign 

 To every class its station and its office, 

 Through all the mighty commonwealth of things 

 Up from the creeping plant to sovereign Man. 

 Such converse, if directed by a meek, 

 Sincere, and humble spirit, teaches love : 

 For knowledge is delight; and such delight 

 Breeds love : yet, suited as it rather is 

 To thought and to the climbing intellect, 

 It teaches less to love, than to adore; 

 If that be not indeed the highest love ! 



WORDSWORTH. 



SINCE the motive that underlies nature study will deter- 

 mine largely the method of teaching it, a brief discussion of 

 the fundamental principles of this motive will make the les- 

 sons and suggestions contained in the following, pages easier 

 to adapt and more productive of good. 



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