THE 



NATURE-STUDY REVIEW 



DEVOTED TO ALL PHASES OF NATURE-STUDY IN SCHOOLS 



Vol. 3 MAY, 1907 No. 5 



THE ORGANIC FIELD OF NATURE-STUDY 



BY GEO. H. HUDSON 

 State Normal School, Plattsburg, N. Y. 



In preparing a syllabus for a course of lectures on zoology, 

 published by the Extension Department of the University of 

 the State of New York in February 1893, I felt that one legiti- 

 mate purpose of such a course might be the gaining of a popular 

 appreciation of what man had already obtained as a reward 

 for his time spent in the study of animal life. This field was 

 briefly outlined under the heading "Scope and power of the 

 appeal of nature to man." Finding the scheme useful in teach- 

 ing, it was soon amplified and made to include the plant as well 

 as the animal kingdom. A form very like the first part of that 

 accompanying this article was distributed among the members of 

 the Nature-Study Section of the State Teachers' Association 

 during its meeting at Cliff Haven in the summer of 1903, and 

 used as the basis of my talk to the teachers of that session. In 

 Nature for January 28, 1904, p. 290, there appeared an interesting 

 grouping, by Professor E. Ray Lancaster, from which I im- 

 mediately borrowed material to make my scheme more complete. 

 The scavengers of his group C and his groups E, F and G, were 

 new to my table. Group G and the scavengers were placed as 

 the second and first divisions of my section C ; Group F became 

 the new section G ; group E w^as not used but might have formed 

 a special sub-division of my section bearing the same letter. 



One who will examine the first two pages of the accompanying 

 tabular form and will make a brief historical retrospect of each 

 division, will find that man's study of nature has contributed to 

 our present position of comparative comfort and safety in a de- 

 gree rarely appreciated. 



