STRUCTURAL AND SYSTEMATIC 

 ZOOLOGY 



CHAPTER I 



PRACTICAL ZOOLOGY 



IT is very desirable that the student should get as 

 much as possible of his knowledge of zoology from 

 a study of the animals themselves rather than from 

 descriptions. It is of course impracticable as well as 

 undesirable to depend entirely upon this source of infor- 

 mation. Nevertheless, the student should be taught 

 how to study specimens, both living and dead. For this 

 reason the following exercises in the practical examina- 

 tion of animal forms have been prepared. They consist 

 mainly of mere suggestions of topics for study, the 

 details being left to the teacher, for it is recognized that 

 if a definite outline to be followed rigidly were offered, 

 it would probably be too elaborate for those schools 

 where only a few weeks can be devoted to the subject, 

 and too meager for the schools in which a longer course 

 is given. 



The exercises provide for a study of the activities 

 and habits of the living, as well as an examination of- 

 the structure of the dead specimen. Every important 

 branch of the animal kingdom is represented by at least 

 one common and easily obtained example. It is sug- 

 gested that the example be studied before a text lesson 

 is assigned on the group which it represents. In this 

 way the student will have a certain amount of original 



