INTRODUCTION. 



The conviction that nature study should form a part of the 

 school course* is growing stronger every year. Knowledge of 

 nature as embodied in the sciences has grown to be a vast and 

 important part of the sum of human knowledge. This knowledge 

 completely dominates our material life, and profoundly influences 

 our intellectual life. In the light of these facts it is not to be 

 wondered at that there should be a demand that a study of 

 nature should form a part of the education of the child. On 

 the other hand, it is hard to understand why such study 

 is still so widely neglected, or at best receives such small consid- 

 eration. But the present widespread serious movement in this 

 direction can never be completely checked, and it must be that 

 there is in progress a real reform in school courses in this re- 

 gard. 



The question of the permanence of nature study in the school 

 course seems to be settled, and it remains to prepare for the work 

 of such a course. This is no easy task and all attempts for some 

 time to come must be regarded as tentative rather than final solu- 

 tions. To select from a vast body of knowledge those portions 

 that both best represent that knowledge, and are at the same 

 time best adapted to the powers of the, pupils in a progressive 

 educational course, would require greater wisdom and skill than 

 exists. We are left to make the best selection possible, try it in 

 our schools, and by means of our successes and failures with it 

 correct from time to time our work. Thus there may grow up in 

 time from extended experience, critically studied, a course in 

 nature study approaching the ideal. However, there are certain 

 matters in regard to such a course that seem clear, and in any 

 suggested arrangement regard should be given them. Some of 

 the most important are presented in the following paragraphs. 



Nature study in some form should form part of the daily 

 work of each grade. But little advance can be hoped from only 

 occasional lessons, or lessons at long intervals, as once a week. 

 Nature study should, as with the other principal subjects of the 



