134 NATURE STUDY. 



CHAPTER VI. 



THE LIMITATIONS OF NATURE STUDY. 



The Two Centres of Education : Nature and Man. 



IN the two preceding chapters the aim of nature 

 study has been discussed, and its educational value 

 brought out. So strongly have these been emphasized, 

 it may seem that the writer considers nature study all- 

 sufficient as a means of education ; that, as has been said 

 by another, " Nature studies contain in themselves the 

 possibilities of a complete education, not excepting the 

 fruits which have hitherto been ascribed to the humani- 

 ties alone." 



The educational 'value of nature study has been em- 

 phasized to bring into near and broad perspective a 

 study which has been in the past very near the vanish- 

 ing-point. In the great majority of schools to-day, 

 nature study, the study of our immediate physical envi- 

 ronment, is utterly ignored. There seems little danger 

 for years to come that it will be made too prominent. 



In the tendency seen in so many directions in our 

 elementary schools to turn from " man study " (lan- 

 guage, history, political geography) to nature study, 

 there is a possibility, however, of going too far. The 



