5I. 



NA TURE 



September 21, 



1905 



constant. These are even more valuable than absolutely 

 accurate observations that are not homogeneous, because 

 the constant errors do not affect the variations. Accord- 

 ingly I have for many years urged in the Meteorologische 

 Zeitschrift that we should endeavour to continue the 

 homogeneous series of means and extremes of the meteor- 

 ological elements for as many years as possible, and 

 should collect and critically discuss the older series of 

 observations. 



Considered from this point of view, the continuation 

 of meteorological observations on mountains is of special 

 value and most urgently to be recommended. They give 

 us information about the condition of the atmosphere in 

 the higher regions which are less exposed to local 

 influences. 



Among the results of recent researches, no other has 

 made so great an impression on me as the observations of 

 the British Antarctic Expedition on the retrograde motion 

 of the glaciers now going on in those regions. TJie re- 

 nowned great ice-barrier of James Ross has receded thirty 

 miles ; the glaciers of Victoria Land are in full retreat, 

 and no longer reach the sea ; while, on the other hand, the 

 Arctic glaciers are receding, and travellers report the same 

 thing about the glaciers of the snow-covered mountains of 

 Ecuador and East Africa. 



Comparing these facts with reports and observations of 

 the progressive desiccation of Africa and Central Asia, we 

 are confronted with one of the greatest problems of terres- 

 trial physics. This appears the more difficult of solution 

 since we have similar phenomena on a smaller scale 

 which we can closely observe, both as regards geographical 

 and time distribution, but are unable to explain from a 

 meteorological point of view. I refer to the continual 

 retrograde motion of the glaciers of the Alps, which you 

 have the opportunity of seeing in the vicinity of the place 

 of our present meeting. Although this phenomenon is 

 proceeding in a district where one mav suppose sufficient 

 meteorological observations, both as 'to time and geo- 

 graphical distribution, are available, we are still unable to 

 determine with certainty a direct connection between the 

 variations or periods of the meteorological elements and 

 the movements of the glaciers. 



Great results are not attained suddenly, but only after 

 long and carefully prepared elTorts. You have met here, 

 gentlemen, to deliberate upon the means by which we 

 may solve, step by step, the most important meteorological 

 problems of the present day. 



Dr. Pernter proposed that a certain number of 

 questions should be referred to special subcommittees 

 which would present reports, with the view of 

 s-implifying discussions at the general meetings. Sub- 

 committees were nominated for the consideration of 

 (i) an international code and comparison of the 

 standard barometers of different countries; (2) new 

 edition of the cloud atlas, and the classification of 

 clouds; (3) reduction of the barometer to sea-level, 

 ;md questions relating to weather-telegraphv ; 

 (4) international study of squalls. 



A vote of thanks was accorded to Dr. Hilde- 

 brandsson for his services as secretary to the Inter- 

 national Meteorological Committee, and a telegram 

 was dispatched to M. Mascart, president of the com- 

 mittee, expressing regret at his absence owing- to 

 ill-health. 



An account of the subsequent meetings of the com- 

 mittee will appear in another issue of Nature. 



SCIENCE TEACHING IN ELEMENTARY 

 SCHOOLS. 

 'pHE issue by the Board of Education of the Blue- 

 book ' that lies before us is a promising sign. 

 Intended as a supplement to the necessarily somewhat 

 rigid and mechanical "Code," it indicates the pro- 

 gress which rational ideas upon elementary educa- 

 tion have made in the national councils since the 



in'.h'I wf?l"^rTn-"' '^? Consideration of Te.ichers and others concerned 

 .nlhe\\ork of Public Elementary Schools.- Pp. ,56. (,905.) 



NO. 1873, VOL. 72] 



days when Robert Lowe's scheme of " payment by 

 results " could claim rank as a piece of wise states- 

 manship. The opening words of the " Prefatory 

 Memorandum " show the cautious and reasonable 

 spirit in which these suggestions are made : — 



" In issuing this volume the Board of Education desire 

 at the outset strongly to emphasise its tentative character, 

 and to invite well-considered criticism designed to make it 

 more useful for its special purpose." 



The Blue-book contains an introduction on the 

 objects of elementary schools, organisation, the 

 curriculum, and the methods applicable to children 

 of different ages, followed by chapters on the teach- 

 ing of particular subjects, viz. English, arithmetic, 

 observation-lessons and nature-study, geography, 

 history, drawing, singing, physical training, needle- 

 work and housecraft, handicraft and gardening, and 

 hygiene. Specimen schemes for most of these sub- 

 jects are given as a series of appendices. 



The suggestions made for arithmetic are of a wise 

 and practical kind, as a few extracts will show : — 



" The instruction in arithmetic should be made as 

 realistic as possible. . . . The use of sets of objects will 

 make it possible from the very beginning to teach the 

 children to add, rather than count by units. . . . Multipli- 

 cation tables should not be learnt before they have been 

 constructed and understood. . . . Every school should be 

 provided with (a) foot-rulers graduated. . . (b) cords with 

 feet, yards and metres marked upon them, . . . (d) a pair 

 of common scales with the smaller weights . 

 (e) measures of capacity ...(/) squared paper or tracing 

 cloth. . . . The commercial applications of arithmetic 

 commonly found in text-books could be advantageously 

 replaced by algebra, practical geometry and the mensura- 

 tion of the simpler solids and surfaces." 



The chapter on observation-lessons and nature- 

 study emphasises the importance of training in 

 accurate observation and accurate description. The 

 distinction made between the two terms is that 

 observation-lessons are for children under ten, while 

 nature-study is for older ones. This seems an arti- 

 ficial distinction, apparently involving the thesis that 

 by the tenth year there is nothing left for observation 

 by the pupils in elementary schools except the out- 

 door world. The movement of late years for nature- 

 study has, in fact, involved a confusion of thought 

 between subject-matter and method ; and it has come 

 to pass that on the one hand didactic teaching of 

 elementary botany, provided it is accompanied by 

 practical verification, and on the other almost any 

 sort of heuristic teaching, are equally covered by 

 that vague and comprehensive term. We see some 

 trace of this confusion of thought in the following 

 remarks : — 



" The main factor which marks oft nature-study from 

 other school subjects should be that in it the instruction 

 proceeds solely from the actual object, and never from 

 description or reading. In practically every other subject, 

 no matter how successfully the teacher makes the scholar 

 look for the information he requires, the child has to take 

 things for granted, and must depend on the good faith 

 of the teacher or of the printed book ; in nature-study 

 comes the opportunity of proceeding by another method 

 and teaching from the thing itself. The teacher should 

 then be very jealous not to waste this unique opportunitv " 

 (pp. 48-49). 



If this be interpreted as an attempt to use nature- 

 study as an heuristic wedge to be driven into densely 

 didactic school traditions, we may approve of it's 

 practical purpose; but with ,the more idealistic tone 

 of the whole book it is inconsistent. The whole of 

 the chapter on arithmetic is saturated with the notion 

 of "teaching from the thing itself." So far from 



