THE DANGERS OF NATURE STUDY 41 



The variations in nature are so endless that no record has 

 kept track of them, and this is one of the beauties of nature 

 study, for it can be told easily whether one is really observing 

 or only following. As an instance may be cited an exercise 

 in which the teacher had distributed some seeds for ex- 

 amination. Among other directions was one calling for 

 the observation of the two coats (the directions said " in- 

 teguments"!). All found them except one boy, and the 

 teacher informed the visitor that he was always giving her 

 trouble, repeatedly failing to see according to directions. 

 In this case the boy could find only one coat, and insisted 

 that to get two coats this one would have to be split. It 

 happened that the boy was right. The teacher had learned 

 from some book that seeds have two integuments, and 

 therefore two must be observed. This is not an example 

 of a useful exercise, but merely an instance of misplaced 

 use of authority. 



The fact is that technical exactness in observation is 

 not necessary in nature study. It demands such observa- 

 tions as are obvious to eyes and minds interested in nature, 

 but not the observations of those professionally trained. 

 Technical exactness at this stage of one's contact with 

 nature kills interest; the chief thing is to secure genuine 

 observation, and it is better to give this free rein, quite 

 independent of authority. The habit of looking into the 

 facts for oneself is one that cannot be acquired too early, 

 and it should be cultivated steadily, as an offset to the in- 

 tellectual dependence inevitably developed in the teaching 

 of certain other subjects. 



Outlines. There is a very general demand from teach- 

 ers for outlines. This point has been previously touched 



