PREFACE. 



IT is a characteristic of the American peo- 

 ple, to test every thing, by its money value 

 alone. The brief discussion of the Relations 

 of Natural History in the following Lectures, 

 was entered upon with the hope of doing 

 something to show that this department of 

 study is by no means to be estimated by its 

 direct return of dollars and cents. Simply to 

 impart information, is a small part of the teach- 

 er's work. This is not to be neglected ; but 

 training the mind, so that it shall move on, a 

 living, expanding power through life, is edu- 

 cation. As the living tree gathers with its 

 thousands of rootlets nutriment from the earth 



