26 THE NATURE-STUDY IDEA 



has the surface of the fields been shaped and 

 molded ? 



It is not necessary that the teacher always know 

 the reason. He can ask the pupils to find out and 

 report next day. It is the strong teacher who 

 can say : " I do not know." If a problem had 

 been sent to Agassiz or Asa Gray and he had 

 not understood it, would he have dissimulated or 

 have evaded in the answer ? Would he not 

 have said boldly "I do not know"? Such men 

 delve for knowledge, but for every fact that 

 they discover they turn up a dozen mysteries. 

 Knowledge begins in wonder. The conscious- 

 ness of ignorance is the first result of wonder, and 

 it leads the pupil on and on : it is the spirit of 

 inquiry. 



These illustrations are given merely as examples. 

 They may not be ideal, but they show what can 

 be done with very common material. In fact, 

 the surprise and interest is often all the greater 

 because the objects are so very common and 

 familiar. 



To my mind, the best of all subjects for nature- 

 study is a brook. It affords studies of many kinds. 

 It is near and dear to every child. It is an 

 epitome of the nature in which we live. In 

 miniature, it illustrates the forces which have 

 shaped much of the earth's surface. It reflects 

 the sky. It is kissed by the sun. It is rippled by 

 the wind. The minnows play in the pools. The 

 soft weeds grow in the shallows. The grass and 

 the dandelions lie on its sunny banks. The moss 



