158 JOHN STEVENS HENSLOW 



and viper in spirits, to show their differences. Hornets' and 

 wasps' nests, naturally mounted, taken by himself, etc. 



The Monday afternoon lessons in botany in the village 

 school-room, held after school-hours, were always remarkable 

 for the enthusiasm exhibited by the children. They were 

 perfectly voluntary, but none was admitted to the Third Class 

 until the child had learnt to spell correctly thirteen terms of 

 classification of the classes, divisions and sections. On entering 

 the class they at once began to fill up the " Floral Scheduled" 



The botanical lesson included : 



1st Inspection of specimens, anything special noticed and 

 explained. 



2nd "Hard word " exercises. Two or three words (botanical 

 terms) given to be correctly spelt on the next Monday. 



3rd Specimens examined and dissected and floral schedules, 

 traced on slates, to be filled up. Marks allowed for accuracy, etc. 



4th Questions on the plant " organs." 



Botanical excursions were made for those only who had 

 received a sufficient number of marks. 



The First Class came at certain times to the rectory on 

 Sunday afternoons after Divine Service; when objects of natural 

 history were shown and " such accounts given of them as may 

 tend to improve our means of better appreciating the wisdom, 

 power, and goodness of the Creator I" 



A printed list of all the wild flowers in Hitcham was always 

 suspended in the school-room, and a rack for named phials, 

 which the children had to keep supplied with flowers as they 

 came into blossom. Of course, little rewards were given to 

 those who first found a flower and those who supplied the 

 greater number, etc. 



One of the exhibits of the Horticultural Shows was the 

 collections of wild flowers made by the children. In addition, 

 a public examination in botany was held, and a stranger would 



1 From the Professor's display of the methods he adopted of teaching Botany in 

 schools, now in the South Kensington Museum, and Prof. D. Oliver's Lessons, etc. 

 based on MS. left unfinished at my father's death, the floral schedule has been adopted 

 in schools, not only all through the British Isles, but the Colonies as well. 



^ A completer account will be found in Jenyns' Memoir. 



