THE BIOLOGY OF THE SEASONS 



glorious succession of seasonal poetry. Here, as in many 

 other respects, poetry may instruct her stern and sometimes 

 rather superior sister Science. But as the years go by, 

 will it not become plain that the poet, the physiologist, and 

 the philosopher (shall we not include the theologian ?), are 

 trying to say the same thing in different words ? 



That the method of seasonal biological study is education- 

 ally sound is best proved by experiment. But it is perhaps 

 enough to ask the simple question : What kind of scientific 

 lore concerning living creatures would we most naturally teach 

 our children in Spring? This is a sensitive touchstone of 

 educational validity. Surely our tale should be of the open- 

 ing buds and the early flowers, the return of the birds and 

 the quickening of the chrysalids. Similarly in autumn, we 

 should inquire into the withering leaves, the ripening fruits, 

 the scattering of seeds, the farewells of the birds, and the 

 general sinking into sleep. Only thus can we lessen the gap 

 between learning and living ! And every year, since the 

 inquiry is not easy, we should return with more penetrating 

 questions to watch the endless pageant of the seasons, 

 studying each thing " in its time " when it is beautiful. The 

 seasonal order of studying " animated nature " at first 

 along Natural History lines and later as a biological inquiry 

 is practically convenient, and it keeps us in harmony with 

 out-of-door interests, both of work and of play ; but there 

 is an even deeper vindication. The seasons have subtle 

 influences on human life, and the natural phenomena of 

 the outer world will be studied with most organic sympathy at 

 the time of their occurrence. 



" Four seasons fill the measure of the year ; 

 There are four seasons in the mind of man." 



The older naturalists before Darwin's day made many 

 careful pictures of the life of plants and animals as it is lived 



