64 THE BOOK OF NATURE STUDY 



be directed at an early stage of progress. In these days of the 

 multiplication of bicycles and motor-cars the time of sunrise and 

 sunset for the school locally is easily obtained. A local time- 

 table, a local newspaper, will nearly always give this. If no other 

 possibility presents itself, the calculation may easily be made 

 from the sun's declination for the latitude concerned, as given in 

 a Nautical Almanack. In addition, rough direct observations 

 may of course also be made, where this is possible, as to the time 

 of setting, and even of rising during the parts of the year when 

 this is easy. 



Apart, however, from such rough direct observations, it will 

 be found a good plan, especially at certain seasons, to draw the 

 attention of the class to the exact times as shown in the almanack. 

 The importance of the exact figures in connection with " lighting- 

 up time " may quite well be definitely made the starting-point, 

 for, above all, we must beware of separating our Nature Study too 

 far from common life. A child whose elder brother bicycles or 

 owns a motor-car may quite well be commissioned to produce 

 the figures for certain given days, and it need hardly be emphasised 

 that these days should be especially chosen to include the equinoxes 

 and the summer and winter solstices. At the March and Septem- 

 ber equinox get the members of the class to draw for you the 

 deduction that then the night and day are nearly of equal length, 

 and, by recording the times for some days, get them also to draw 

 the conclusion that the days grow longer and the nights shorter 

 after the March equinox, and that the conditions are reversed 

 after the September one. 



Similar observations should of course be made in regard to 

 the solstices, and in both cases direct rough observations should 

 be added to the deductions made from the figures. This is of 

 course all very obvious, but something more may be done with 

 " lighting-up time " figures. Most of the ornamental calendars, 

 now so abundant, give the time of sunrise and sunset on the slip 

 for each day. Being for the most part published in London, 

 these times are times for London. From the comparison of the 

 local penny time-table, then, and such a calendar, material for 

 some interesting lessons can be drawn. On the accompanying 

 table the comparison for Edinburgh and London at the important 



