it may be reading, spelling, writing, and almost arithmetic lesson, and 

 these will at once become more agreeable. Some would find time and 

 place in one way, some in another. Prof. Thompson, of Worcester, 

 says there is a chance for it as a substitute for much of present 

 English grammar. 



The speaker thought that a good teacher would find, the easiest way 

 to prepare a scholar to pass a high school admission examination 

 would be to give him through his earlier years arithmetic, geography, 

 etc., with natural history, rather than without, and that he could be 

 better prepared in this way for his future studies. So the logic of 

 the matter will not abide the objection that it interferes with curric- 

 ulum, remodel the curriculum is the stern necessity. 



The question of time may be partly solved by considering that the 

 routine of daily school work needs frequent breaks and " it is often a 

 gain to lay aside common studies and spend an hour in natural his- 

 tory." Even an hour a week would be of good advantage if the 

 method were in harmony with the topic. 



The objection regarding lack of knowledge on part of teachers was 

 also considered and answered. The speaker said that if the thing 

 was a necessity, all the lions in the way must yield. He thought 

 teachers were more alive to the matter than school committees. In 

 conclusion he offered as an illustration of how something might be 

 done, an account of a plan he had tried, partly on the suggestion of 

 Dr. Ebell, of New York. It had not been tried long enough to per- 

 mit him to speak much of the results, but it at least offered a begin- 

 ning. We find in the "Massachusetts Teacher" for July an account 

 of the plan, which we give in place of an abstract of the speaker's 

 remarks. 



"Natural history finds no place in the curriculum of study in our 

 schools (in P.), except in the high school, in the subject of botany. 

 The high school teachers are not specially scientific in their tastes, 

 and natural history furnishes to none of them the attractiveness or 

 congeniality that literature or mathematics would afford. 



Yet, moved by many motives which space forbids mentioning, we 

 have organized a society of natural history. It is a voluntary or- 

 ganization. It has its by-laws, drawn up by a committee of members, 

 crude but satisfactory. It admits anybody, in school and out, who 

 will pay ten cents and sign its rules. Its object is, primarily, to col- 

 lect and preserve specimens of all the plants in the limits of the 

 town. But secondarily, exercise and pleasure are its objects. The 

 observation and collection of minerals, insects, etc., furnishes a fur- 

 ther attraction. 



It has a president, vice-president, treasurer, two recording and one 

 corresponding secretary, an executive committee, a cabinet com- 

 mittee and a librarian ; and thus far all except the librarian have had 

 employment. It requires an excursion every Wednesday afternoon, 

 for which the executive committee arrange, and in which every mem- 



