CHILDREN OF MY TRAIL SCHOOL 167 



of Long's Peak and carried it across a canon. While 

 the interest was on this boulder the whole glacial 

 story was opened. From that hour these children 

 had an eye for glacial topography and a mind 

 for books concerning glaciers. 



The children often wrote a delightful account of 

 an experience or of their special interest. Such ac- 

 counts were not booky, they were spontaneous. 

 These compositions were what we desired but they 

 were not required nor even lightly requested. 



Generally in the study of zoology or botany the 

 student begins with the far-away, primitive, and 

 least interesting forms of life, and memorizes. We 

 use the bird, animal, or flower at hand. We learn 

 something of its life history, of its evolution; of its 

 relation to surrounding plants and animals; of its 

 enemies, its travels, its food; and sometimes how 

 it has been changed by environment. We learn 

 something of the year-round life of mountain sheep, 

 of beavers and other animals, and of birds. Their 

 popular names we use as a label or mark of identi- 

 fication; but we learn all we can before becoming 

 serious concerning the name. In due time — and 

 this is by the time scientific names and classifica- 

 tions mean something — the children find both 

 interesting. 



Our method has been efficient, whether the pre- 

 scribed one or not. By it the boys and girls have 

 laid the foundation for an education and learned 

 many of the facts and principles of nature. And, 



