14 INTRODUCTION 



vocates of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to 

 Animals. Moreover, to him who understands the meaning 

 of the well-woven nest by the roadside, the glistening eggs 

 on the tender twig, and the thousand other sights and 

 sounds of the lane and park, there is no nook or cranny of 

 creation without a wholesome interest. 



EQUIPMENT 



Plan of Work. It is not important that the pupils 

 should learn many things, but it is important that they 

 should be taught to observe accurately, to reason carefully, 

 and to express their thoughts in clear English. The 

 teacher will be asked many questions about animals, which 

 he can not answer, and therefore he must realize there is no 

 disgrace in saying; " I do not know, but let us together seek 

 the information in the books and in the animals them- 

 selves." Pupils should be encouraged to ask questions, 

 and those which can not be easily answered may be assigned 

 to one or more individuals for study during the next several 

 days. Agassiz's motto, " Study nature, not books/' ought 

 to hang in every schoolroom. This text-book is not to 

 be memorized; it aims merely to furnish to inquiring minds 

 information about animals. 



If the class becomes specially interested in scale insects 

 and plant lice, or birds and insects, or mosquitoes and 

 other flies, it is wise to devote much time to these and 

 give less study to other forms. Many teachers will find it 

 wise to omit certain chapters and some parts of other 

 chapters, to save time. 



