SCIENCE FOR SCIENCE'S SAKE 95 



attaching names thereto? The old idea of the 

 study of nature was to make an inventory of things. 

 The things were bewilderingly numerous, and to 

 put them away in a cabinet, with a proper ticket 

 attached, was to know them. The great want was 

 names and classification ; and these names must be 

 arranged in books. This natural history bookkeep- 

 ing received its largest impetus from the binomial 

 method of naming, which might be galled a system 

 of " double entry. " 



This naming of things was necessary. It is the 

 starting-point, as a city directory is. But it is only 

 the beginning of wisdom. It is not an end. The 

 profound speculations of the modern evolutionists 

 have emphasized the importance of the things 

 themselves, and particularly of real or live things. 

 The point of view has changed. Do not let your 

 pupils make an herbarium, the modern teacher will 

 say, but tell them to study the plants. We all 

 sympathize with this point of view ; but what are 

 we going to do with this native and exuberant desire 

 of the child to explore and to collect? We are 

 taught, also, that we should develop and strengthen 

 the natural powers. One of my friends will not 

 let his little boy make an herbarium, because that 

 is mere superficial amusement ; so the child collects 

 postage stamps. He does not care to have him 

 know the names of plants, but he is very careful to 

 have him properly introduced to visitors ; and what 

 is an introduction but a conventional passing of 

 names? 



I believe that we have gone too far in decrying 



