548 TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION D. 
a series of questions which can be answered only as the result of examination of 
the object. To tell the pupils that such and such is the case and then request 
them to verify the statement is destructive alike of interest and of the beneficial 
results which are the aim of all science teaching. But it is quite legitimate, after 
all that is possible has been found out, to impart a little additional information 
by way of explanation of facts observed. For example, supposing that the 
respiratory movements of a frog be under notice, we may ask the class to describe 
the movements of the throat, nostrils, ear-drum, and flanks, to note the condition 
of the mouth, to time the frequency of the various movements and describe their 
relation one to another; but we shall not be wrong subsequently by the aid of 
a model and by blackboard diagrams to get the class to reason out, with a little 
assistance, how the air is forced into the lungs by the compression exerted by the 
floor of the mouth cavity. (2) Both in the nature-study and in all later stages of 
class-teaching the work should deal largely, indeed exclusively, with animals that 
arecommon. Insects, earthworms, mussels, snails, spiders, lobsters (crayfish), 
crabs, centipedes, fish, frogs and toads, newts, lizards and snakes, birds, and the 
domestic and more familiar British mammals, form an ample stock of material 
from which to select examples. It is impossible to treat of all, nor is it desirable 
to attempt to make zoologists of everybody. Hence the ‘ type-method,’ with its 
underlying idea of evolution, is not suitable for purposes of general education. 
What we aim at is rather that everyone shall gain an intelligent interest and 
sympathy with the lower animals, and shall understand to some extent how these 
live and move and have their being, their importance to man in his industries 
and otherwise, and, since man is an animal, something of the structure and 
healthy working of the human body. With older and cleverer pupils pure nature- 
study methods become insufficient. As the mind matures it must have more 
solid matter to digest. In our enthusiasm for a new method of teaching we are all 
rather apt to supply an infantile diet to minds that are not thereby strengthened. 
The first mammal that was evolved in Nature’s workshop probably did not 
continue to suckle her young after they acquired teeth fit for chewing solid 
food. We may therefore in our secondary stages proceed to ask more about 
the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ of animal phenomena ; in other words, to begin physio- 
logy. But this of necessity demands at least some training in physics and 
chemistry; and I am strongly in favour of interpolating a year devoted to the ele- 
ments of these subjects before proceeding further with zoology proper. On the other 
hand I would not separate function and structure into water-tight compartments, 
but as far as possible take them together. A very large portion of the physiology 
should be human, even when we are dealing with invertebrate animals. A 
comparatively slight acquaintance with physical and chemical methods will enable 
pupils to find out many of the properties of bread, milk, eggs, butter, and other 
foodstuffs; saliva is readily accessible for experiments on digestive processes, 
and pepsin and hydrochloric acid can be purchased without much difficulty. 
Similarly the essential features in respiration can be ascertained with the simplest 
of apparatus; and when these are taken in conjunction with experiments on the 
combustion of foodstuffs, part at any rate of the metabolic processes becomes 
intelligible. Pupils are always deeply interested in human physiology; indeed 
I know no subject which holds the attention of classes more firmly ; and inci- 
dentally it may be remarked that the opportunity arises of imparting many a 
valuable lesson in all aspects of hygiene. A very real difficulty is the question of 
laboratory work and dissection. In the short space of time usually allotted to 
science, dissection is almost impossible, even if there be laboratory accommodation 
for the purpose. Nevertheless a good deal of this can be done with some animals, 
e.g., insects and crustaceans, if one rests content with externals and then supple- 
ments deficiencies by museum preparations, microscope slides thrown by the 
electric lantern on the screen, and soon. (8) It would be valuable to obtain an 
expression of opinion from teachers present on the questions of .introducing the. 
theory. of evolution and principles of classification, and, if these are to be intro- 
duced, whether it is best to begin with the unicellular animal and work upwards, 
or to adopt the reverse course. My own feeling is that this part, the most interest- 
