NATURE STUDY IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS 



721 



tween moths and butterflies. Make a study of the Hfe 

 history of the CodHng Moth, touching on the economic 

 importance and methods of control. Make an intensive 

 study of the Hfe history of the house fly. Obtain lit- 

 erature from the Local or State Department of Health 

 and distribute to the children. Dwell particularly upon 

 the fly as a disease carrier ; and methods of control." 



Foresters will be especially interested in the fact that 

 in all of the schemes, from all of the cities, particular 

 attention is paid to the study of our fruit, shade and for- 

 est trees ; and as a matter of fact, on pages 47 and 48 of 

 this admirable outline of Mr. 

 Walters', the study of the 

 trees of the United States 

 forests is given especial 

 prominence, with very ex- 

 plicit instructions on nearly 

 every phase of practical for- 

 estry. Animal life is taken 

 up in the same systematic 

 manner so that a child of 

 good intelligence can not 

 fail of having an excellent 

 understanding of element- 

 ary biology along utilitarian 

 lines upon completing the 

 entire course in a Pitts- 

 burgh public school. More 

 than ten pages are devoted 

 to giving a list of the nature 

 books on the various sub- 

 jects taken up in the course ; 

 and this is an excellent idea, 

 not to mention the great as- 

 sistance such information is 

 to the teacher. Since the 

 above was published, Mr. 

 William M. Davidson has is- 

 sued (June 1, 1921), the new 

 "Elementary Course in 

 Science," prepared by Mr. 

 John A. Hollinger, Director 

 of the Department. Here the 

 course is laid out in a most 

 exhaustive manner, and the 

 work is one of great value. 



FIG. 7. 



At this point I may say that 

 I sent out a questionaire to 

 many of the school super- 

 intendents in different cities, 

 receiving most interesting replies. Mr. Hollinger's 

 answer goes to show the enthusiastic interest taken in 

 the nature study course in the city of Pittsburgh by the 

 community at large, by the teachers, and, as a rule, by 

 the pupils. Among other things he says that the teach- 

 ers "in nature study interest their classes to a high de- 

 gree. Most of our teachers are enthusiastic and show 

 considerable information concerning nature study. In 

 addition, at least one-half of our schools or more have 



Teachers aim to frequently bring before their nature classes 

 specimens of the various caterpillars. This species feeds on 

 the tomato and on other plants, and occurs from southern 

 Canada to Georgia. Color, bright green with white markings. 



some specimens of one kind or another. Many schools 

 have rather large cases of specimens pertaining to Biol- 

 ogy and Botany. 



"The community is very favorable and enthusiastic, 

 as is indicated by our Nature Study Club ; Naturalists' 

 Club ; Hiking Club, Botanical Society, Audubon Society 

 and other smaller organizations." 



In September, 1909, a somewhat similar pamphlet to 

 the above, tastefully gotten up, was issued by Mr. A. T. 

 Stuart, the then Superintendent of the Public Schools 

 of the District of Columbia ; but it is not nearly so 



thorough as that which we 

 find in the works referred to 

 in a previous paragraph ; as 

 a matter of fact, it stands 

 much in need of elaboration. 

 In most of the suggestions 

 presented, they are less than 

 a skeleton of what is de- 

 manded. 



From Indianapolis, Indi- 

 ana, Mr. E. K. Ray writes 

 me that their "Nature Study 

 Course is undergoing com- 

 pletion;" and he was good 

 enough to forward me a 

 typewritten copy of what is 

 soon to appear in the prem- 

 ises. It promises to be a 

 very elaborate and valuable 

 one, and is sure of contrib- 

 uting substantially to the 

 literature of this subject. 



In some cities, additional 

 stimulation and more effec- 

 tive methods are much de- 

 manded along the lines here ' 

 being considered; especial- 

 ly is this the case in such 

 cities as New Haven and 

 Chicago, and possibly oth- 

 ers. Mr. George Wheeler, 

 Acting Superintendent of 

 Schools of the School Dis- 

 trict of Philadelphia, issues 

 a booklet of some 119 pages 

 for "The Course of Study in 

 Geography and Nature 

 Study in the Public Schools" 

 of that city which is very 

 thorough in treatment. The combination of nature 

 study and geography is most admirable, not to say natu- 

 ral and necessary. In the "Foreword" to this brochure, 

 Mr. Wheeler very truly remarks that "Geography is one 

 of the great means by which we come to understand hu- 

 man life. It was formerly defined as a description of 

 the surface of the Earth, and under that definition loca- 

 tion was the most prominent aspect of the study. In 

 later years the contents became much enriched by the 



CATERPILLAR OF THE LAUREL SPHINX MOTH 

 {Hyloicus kalmiae). 



