328 NATURE STUDY REVIEW [10:8— Nov., 1914 



visions of things as they are, and shows them in wide perspective, 

 the study is at least restful. 



"We venture, therefore, not only to send forth this journal as 

 usual but also to arrange an exhibition of fruits and fungi and 

 teaching material produced in connection with the study of these 

 treasures of autumn. Lord Sudeley has testified to his sympathy 

 with our efforts by consenting to open the exhibition. The visit 

 of a public man of great renown on the occasion of so small a thing 

 as a nature-study exhibition is of great significance. Let us 

 honour this act of service on his part by coming together in great 

 numbers for his reception!" — From School Nature-Study, London. 



Nature-Play 



In a recent number of the Popular Science Monthly, (April, 1 9 1 4) , 

 Dr. Charles Lincoln Edwards, director of nature-study in the 

 Los Angeles schools, makes some practical discussions, espec- 

 ially appropriate to the summer time as to helping children to a 

 more intelligent interest in nature. He suggests that one type of 

 animal or plant be taken up for observation each week — one of the 

 domestic animals, for example, or one of the plants in the garden. 

 "Never tell children that which they may find out for themselves," 

 but ask them to see how much they can find out in ten minutes of 

 personal observation. 



' ' The chief thing is to bring the child in contact with nature and 

 give him the pleasure and stimulus of original discovery." When 

 a child notices that a horse walks on the tops of his middle fingers 

 and middle toes, he becomes fascinated with the stories of the 

 evolution of this animal from the small mammal, about the size of 

 a dog, which had five fingers on each hand and five toes on each 

 foot. "The child learns that germs are not bugs, nor worms, nor 

 little devils, but they are minute plants. Some germs are the best 

 friends of man." 



To develop narrative skill we have introduced a game called 

 caravan. Beginning in one of the rooms of the upper grade, the 

 teacher selects three pupils especially interested in nature-play, 

 each to describe some animal from the course. The name of the 

 creature is not to be given by the narrator, but must be guessed by 

 the others. 



Contrary to most guessing games, the object is to have given 

 such a lucid description that the name of the animal will be guessed 



