144 HOUSE, GARDEN, AND FIELD 



for lack of a good method. The leader observes, collects 

 and names ; the class accompanies, hears, and it may be, 

 attends for a moment, but soon gets discouraged by the 

 technical information that is poured out so freely. Then 

 people get into conversation with one another, not all the 

 time on natural history. I have heard such excursionists 

 absorbed in political discussion, and have also remarked 

 that young people of different sexes now and then separate 

 in pairs, to talk about things that happen to interest them- 

 selves. This is excusable enough, but it is not natural 

 history. 



To make things go as they should, there must be work 

 cut out for every member of the party. Field-lectures 

 often fail to interest ; the naming of a crowd of unfamiliar 

 plants or animals is quite certain to come to nothing ; but 

 if you can persuade every member of the class to search 

 for some particular thing, there may be a chance of a pro- 

 fitable time. 



It is good, I think, to deal with one small depart- 

 ment of natural history at a time. The special aim, 

 for instance, may be the characters of the common trees, 

 or the notes of the common birds, or the means of 

 dispersal of fruits and seeds, or the habits of aquatic 

 insect-larvae, or the effect of difference of soil upon 

 vegetation. We shall do well to avoid, for fear of dis- 

 traction, the mixing up of different studies in one short 

 ramble. 



Having decided on the main object of the excursion, 

 we shall consider how to persuade every member of the 

 class to take his share of the work. I have found nothing 

 better than to distribute a paper of questions and instruc- 

 tions. The leader should go over the ground in advance, 

 and note the things which will lead to observation and 

 discussion. Then the party may ramble on to a halting- 

 place agreed on beforehand, where they will stop, examine, 

 and discuss what has been found. Suppose that the main 

 purpose of the excursion is to study the dispersal of fruits 



