JAXIAKY 11, 1895.] 



SCIENCE. 



41 



The initial cxpi'uso for providing the ma- 

 terial was small, l)eing about SIO for geo- 

 logy, S15 for botany, and S25 for zoology. 

 Diagrams and crayon sketches, magnifying 

 glasses, and various methods of a simple 

 kind were made use of. These methods 

 were afterwards used with smaller sections 

 with even more satisfactory results. Ex- 

 aminations were given to test the pupils' 

 proficiency, not only in knowledge of the 

 subject but also of methods of study. For 

 this purpose test objects were given the pu- 

 pils to examine and describe. At the close 

 of his paper. Professor Hyatt exhibited 

 some specimens of these examinations. 



Professor H, C. Bumpus, of Bro-mi Uni- 

 versity, spoke upon the subject from the 

 zoological point of view. The value of 

 laboratory work depends largely upon good 

 material, which should be supplied in abund- 

 ance and in excellent condition. At the 

 present time there is no excuse for supply- 

 ing poor or scanty material, since abundance 

 of excellent material can be obtained at 

 small cost. The importance of having the 

 best dissections and best drawings obtain- 

 able in the laboratory itself cannot be over- 

 estimated. It does not induce the laziness 

 and attempts at shirking that seem to be 

 the fear of so many teachers. If the student 

 desires to cojjv a line dissection he is to be 

 encouraged to do so, and any teacher can 

 readily detect the sketches copied from a 

 chart or diagram. The speaker said also 

 that he had found it an excellent plan in 

 certivin dithcult cases to supply blanks 

 on which the outlines of important struc- 

 tures were laid down, the details to be 

 added by the pupil. A printed outline of 

 the order of work, directions for manipula- 

 tion, and questions to be answered from the 

 specimens are a great help. The need of 

 competent assistants is obvious. 



The botanical side of the question w^as 

 considered in a jiaper by Professor W, F, 

 Ganong, of .Smith College, The experience 



given w'as obtained in managing clas.ses of 

 about 200 men at Harvard, and the plan 

 given was worked out under the guidance 

 of Professor (J, L, Goodale, The conditions 

 under which the instruction was under- 

 taken were : ( 1 ) The classes were too large 

 for individual teaching bj' the instructor; 

 (2) laboratory hours must be adjusted to 

 other academic work, to insuflicient ac- 

 commodations, and sometimes even to yet 

 other considerations ; (.3) many .students of 

 diverse attainments must be taught how to 

 work and to think scientificall}', and must 

 be kept progressing together through the 

 stages of a logically gi'aded course, and (4) 

 large quantities of special material must be 

 provided for at unfavorable seasons. 



In conducting such classes competent 

 assistants were necessary, each to have not 

 more than twenty men under him, and 

 these were to remain under his special 

 charge throughout the course. Such as- 

 sistants may be readily recruited in any 

 large university where there are special 

 students doing advanced work. The assist- 

 ants met the instructor to talk over plans 

 and details of coming work. Uniformity of 

 plan was insisted upon, but details of me- 

 thod were left to the assistant. The in- 

 structor did not devote himself to any one 

 section, but visited each one as often as was 

 possible. Weekly guides were printed for 

 the use of the student, indicating the points 

 to be studied, their relative importance, and 

 any necessary information given. They 

 were intended to supply just enough data 

 to enable the student to progress to correct 

 conclusions. 



The materials required ^vere arranged in 

 the coui-se, so tiiat in the winter such tilings 

 as could be grown easily or jjrocured out of 

 doors, as seeds, seedlings and buds, came 

 first, and then followed the succession of 

 opening buds, leaves, flowers and fruit made 

 accessible l)y the advance of spring. In other 

 words, the time of giving tlie course and the 



