AUTHOES' PREFACE ix 



The advantages, also, of co-relating such work with ordinary 

 subjects of the curriculum, such as drawing, essay writing, and 

 geography, have been largely seized by teachers of all grades who 

 understand that nature-study may be to a great extent " a point of 



view." 



At present the private and elementary schools have led the way, 

 and there is no doubt but that where the number of pupils is not 

 very large, special facilities exist for informal out-of-door work during 

 school hours ; while in the large secondary schools, the nature-study, 

 if any is done, is to be looked for, in the observational side of that 

 voluntary natural history work which is generally treated as a mere 

 pastime, and only here and there taken at its full value. 



It is advisable that some ideas as to the direction to be followed 

 in nature-study should first of all be obtained in school (under exist- 

 ing conditions at least), and that the fullest advantage should be 

 taken of voluntary work which will receive encouragement thereby. 



The object, therefore, of this book is twofold. First of all to 

 provide a series of truly observational lessons which may be carried 

 on as a part of a school curriculum as set down in the time table, or, 

 where possible, incidentally introduced.* Secondly, by means of a 

 number of chapters, to suggest as many lines, as is possible, of work 

 to be done out-of-doors in school time or in leisure hours. 



In the case of students who have begun their scientific training 

 it will be difficult to determine where nature-study ends or science 

 begins ; and there is no need to attempt to do so, as the out-door 

 observational work will always supplement that of the laboratory. 

 In simple nature-study, books of information are not used, but when 

 a special pursuit is seriously followed as a hobby, it will be necessary 



* The subjects chosen provide so far as possible for a continued study and are seasona 

 but not necessarily connected one with another. 



