PREFACE 



THE study of nature with a view to understand the 

 relations of plant and animal life to the welfare and 

 happiness of man, needs no justification in this age of 

 scientific agriculture and applied sciences. All our most 

 progressive teachers agree that Elementary Science or 

 Nature Study should have a place on the programme of 

 every graded and ungraded school in the land. 



Purpose of this book. The writer has attempted to point 

 out some of the material which may be made the basis of 

 profitable lessons in Nature Study, and he has endeavored 

 to show how this material may be made available and what 

 the pupils may be taught about it. 



Plan of the book. A glance at the contents of the differ- 

 ent chapters will show that the writer has tried to learn 

 directly from nature, and he would strongly urge teachers 

 and pupils to attend nature's own school in fields and for- 

 ests, and at lakes and streams. Those happy children who 

 can spend their vacations outdoors do not confine their 

 attention to one class of objects and phenomena. While 

 on a ramble through the woods they naturally observe the 

 birds, the insects, the trees, shrubs, and flowers of the 

 season ; and a similar statement is true of lakes and rivers, 

 of swamp, marsh, and meadow. I have, therefore, arranged 



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