BIRD-STUDY FOR SCHOOLS 255 



authorized system or grading in teaching nature- 

 study has yet become recognized and adopted. Su- 

 pervisors and teachers are as yet thrown considerably 

 upon their own resources. There are no particular 

 books which are required to be used. Yet there is 

 one main principle upon which there is general agree- 

 ment, that just as far as possible this line of study 

 is to be drawn from nature itself, rather than from 

 books. Books may be used as aids, yet unless the 

 pupil can be induced to get acquainted with the bird, 

 flower, or whatever it may be, outdoors in its natural 

 surroundings, or be inspired and interested through 

 the indoor study to seek them out, the main good of 

 the course is lost. One teacher told me that she 

 would rather have a pupil know one bird in wild life 

 than ten from pictures or descriptions. The arous- 

 ing of intelligent interest in the outdoor world is the 

 supreme purpose of this work, not the cramming of 

 the child with a mass of facts for class-room recita- 

 tion. 



All this is distinctly encouraging for the average 

 teacher. To teach bird-study, for instance, one need 

 not be a trained ornithologist. That would be un- 

 reasonable to expect. But any teacher can have an 

 interest in the great outdoors, and have or gain an 

 ordinary knowledge of some of the more familiar 

 birds, animals, flowers, trees, and processes, and in- 

 spire the children to become familiar with them. 

 About the birds, for instance, teacher and pupils may 

 frankly learn together. Wise teachers, who read the 



