BI(;elow] "SO-CALLED NATURE-STUDY" 237 



Such examples of terms not being appropriate are exceedingly 

 numerous in biology; and so biologists can not gracefully continue 

 to apologize for the word nature-study by prefixing "so-called," 

 using quotation marks or by continually worrying because the 

 term as "unfortunate." 



The truth is that the term nature-study is now definite enough 

 in its meaning for all practical purposes. It has come to mean 

 simply a convenient designation of certain very elementary 

 studies of common natural objects and processes; and since it is 

 commonly agreed that the materials for such study may be 

 drawn from any phase of nature, it is certainly quite appropriate 

 that a word with such general significance as has nature-study 

 should be widely adopted. It is not probable that any of the 

 critics of the term could suggest a better one; in fact they are 

 not known to have made any useful suggestions concerning a 

 possible substitute term. The word nature-study has certainly 

 come into the language to stay, and at this late day we might 

 just as well try to eradicate the words biology and cell as to 

 replace nature-study with some other word. 



One other point : It is true that some very imperfect work in 

 many schools has been called nature-study, but that also is no 

 reason why we should apologize for the term. Instead of wast- 

 ing time apologizing we ought to be working to make the work 

 more perfect. It would not be difficult to point out much 

 science work in colleges which does not deserve the word science, 

 and likewise one could easily look back a few hundred years in 

 human history and point out a great many things which were 

 not worthy of the names now applied to them. It seems, there- 

 fore, that an apology for the word nature-study, because some 

 weak work has been called nature-study, is not demanded. It 

 is even more senseless than apologising for established words be- 

 cause their etymological derivation does not happen to be 

 satisfactory from a philological standpoint. 



Let us then have done with all attempts at direct and implied 

 apology for the word nature-study. We know that the teaching 

 under that heading has had and still has serious defects, but we 

 now have some very definite ideas as to how it may be made more 

 perfect. The word naturally suggests just what we want it to 

 suggest, namely, general study of nature not differentiated into 

 the special sciences. Let us then take the word as the best 



