OS TlIK MANACiE.ME.NT UK KlEMENTAKV ClA.SSES IN BoTANY. 



ivliole process maj' then be observed in tlie most convenient way, dissections and comparisons bein^; 

 readily made at various stagey. 



Spring Work — if tlie programme thus lightly sketched be fairly carried out, the young bot- 

 anist should be very well prepared for field work in the spring. He will now put to a practical use the 

 information he has been acquiring about the parts of plants and their modifications, and will proceed 

 to identify and classify the flowering plants which come in his way according to the characters which 

 he finds them to exhibit. As soon as practicable the puijils should be required to collect and bring to 

 the class-room anj^ wild plants whatever which they may find in flower. If their specimens are 

 enclosed in a suitable tin box, with a light sprinkling of water, they will remain in excellent condition 

 for several da\-s. It is now of minor consequence whether all the members of the class are engaged 

 apon the same plant or not ; but whether they are at work upon the same or different plants, the sched- 

 ules must in all cases be conscientiously filled up before they attempt to determine the name and place 

 of the specimen. Perhaps, for a time, until all become familiar with the u.se of the "flora/' it would ' 

 be better to work upon one plant at a time. If this plan be followed, the points of structure should be 

 observed, recorded, and checked as already described for the earlier lessons, and when the characters of 

 the plant have thus been definitely settled, recourse must be had to the "kej'" which is prefixed to the 

 flora. Full instructions are given in the book itself for the use of this " key." so that they need not be 

 repeated here. All the teacher has to do is to accompany the class through the various questions which 

 liave to be answered, putting them, if preferred, one by one, and receiving the answers of the class in 

 Einj' way he may prefer; the answers in every case, of course, to be obtained from the completed sched- 

 ule. If the true name of the plant is at length arrived at, this will be the best evidence that the work 

 of observation has been accurately performed. Two or three lessons carried out in this manner will 

 Ljive the pupils confidence, and familiarize them with the use of the flora, after which thej- may be 

 allowed to examine and determine almost any flowering plant they may meet with. The teacher will find 

 it useful at this stage to begin a register of the practical work done by his pupils. If prizes are given, 

 the awarding of them may be made to depend largely upon the showing of this register. Then, if there 

 is time, the mode of preserving and viounting specimens for the herbarium might be explained. Apart 

 from its botanical importance, this work has an educational value in itself, demanding, as it does, the 

 greatest neatness and care to ensure the most successful results. Full instructions will be found at the 

 end of the glossary. 



Excursions. — Tlie writer cannot do better than reproduce here a short account of a botanical 

 field day, written by him for the Educational Monthly some time ago, in order to illustrate how such 

 a day may be spent : — 



A BOTANICAL FIELD DAY. 



It is a bright Saturday morning towards the end of June — a morning to ■which a score of boys and girls 

 liave for some time been I()(jking forward with a good deal of plc^asant anticipation. They are juvi-nile bot- 

 anists, members of a class formed some months ago, and having now, by the study of selected specimens, 

 acquired some little knowledge of the structure of jilants, they are, on this particular morning, to meet for 

 a ramble ; to gather such flowers as come in their way ; and then to re-assemble and compare notes, and 

 also to determine the names of such plants as they do not alreadj' know. 



The rendezvous selected is a particularly good one for botanical purposes, commanding, as it does, a 

 variety of situations. It is an upland from which, by a gentle slope to the northward, you may descend 

 to the reedy margin of a small lake, concealed by trees until 3'ou are close upon it. East of this lake 

 stretches a beaver meadow of many acres, fringed and dotted witli larches, and too moist to traverse in 



