912 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XVI. No. 414. 



ment, the need of a critical and unprejudiced 

 judgment in reaching conclusions, revision of 

 work and suspension of judgment in doubt- 

 ful cases. Elementary examples of all these 

 processes may be presented, though those just 

 named are more appropriate than the others 

 for young classes. 



In the illustration of nature study with ex- 

 cerpts from poems, I have comparatively little 

 interest, especially when, as is so often the 

 case, the excerpts are not chosen by the 

 teacher, and still less when the teacher's tem- 

 perament is not poetic. Spontaneous quota- 

 tions from any field of really good literature 

 in prose or poetry, brought in because of real 

 literary feeling on the teacher's part, are in 

 just measure admirable aids to study of all 

 kinds; but if ijoems on nature be made an 

 essential part of nature study, it is likely to 

 become emotional rather than scientific and 

 disciplinary. 



Desire and capacity to carry the study of 

 nature further should be the chief end of 

 nature study, and it is for this reason that 

 I would emphasize in all grades the disciplin- 

 ary rather than the sentimental view of the 

 subject. The scientific method should be 

 constantly inculcated, but more by example 

 than by precept. 



This should, lead to a clear understanding 

 of the order of nature, based not on authority 

 but on the cultivation and use of a keen, un- 

 prejudiced, sympathetic reason: emotional 

 sentiment, a subject responsive in so far as 

 it is excited by natural phenomena, is better 

 cultivated in the appreciative study of art 

 and literature than in nature study. 



W. M. DA^as. 



Cambridge, Mass. 



Properly it is simply synonymous with the 

 good old term ' natural history.' 



As I take it, all zoologists, botanists, biol- 

 ogists, etc., are pursuing ' nature study,' each 

 in his own way. I have no sympathy with the 

 desire of some superficial persons to limit 

 such a term to kindergarten work in zoology 

 and botany, which is about the idea held in 

 some schools. 



That kind of work is right and proper and 

 useful in its place, but why it should monopo- 



lize the term ' nature study ' is knovsm only 

 to the minds of those who can go no farther 

 than the a b c of science. 



E. A. Verrill. 



New Haven, Conn. 



I should say that, on the positive side, any 

 direct contact with natural objects, continued 

 by critical or comparative studies, either ele- 

 mentary or advanced, should come under the 

 head of nature study. Negatively, I should 

 exclude all fairy stories about animals and 

 plants, all fantastic stories of creatures more 

 or less imaginary, and should restrict the' 

 term so as to include only such work as 

 would bring the student face to face with 

 realities. The essential virtue of nature study 

 lies in its reality, as distinguished from the 

 conventional, artificial or second-hand kinds 

 of learning. 



Damd Starr Jordan. 



Stanfokd University, Calif. 



I should say that by nature study a good 

 teacher means such study of the natural 

 world as leads to sympathy with it. The key- 

 note, in my opinion, for all nature study is 

 sympathy. Such study in the schools is not 

 botany; it is not zoology; although, of course, 

 not contravening either. But by nature study 

 we mean such a presentation, to young people, 

 of the outside world that our children learn to 

 love all nature's forms and cease to abuse 

 them. The study of natural science leads, to 

 be sure, to these results, but its methods are 

 long and have a different primary object. 

 Thomas H. Macbrede. 



Uni\'ersitt of Iowa. 



Besides the letters above, a brief quotation 

 is here given from an excellent book recently 

 published by Clifton E. Hodge, Ph.D., of 

 Clark University: 



Nature study is learning those things in 

 nature that are best worth knowing, to the 

 end of doing those things tliat make life most 

 worth the living. 



My point is that nature study, or element- 

 ary science, for the public school ought to be 

 all for sure huvian good. 



Here is a paragraph from a recent letter 



