i8o 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XXII. No. 556 



themselves some points of beauty, or ai-e of curious shapes; 

 may know them only by their common or local names, or 

 may take up the subject in a purely scientific sj^irit, iden- 

 tifying a plant during its floweriag stage and finally col- 

 lecting its seeds when mature, labelling them with both 

 common and scientific names, date of flowering and seed- 

 ing, and laying away to form a jsart of what in time may 

 grow to be a collection of real value. 



One great objection that may be raised is undoubtedly 

 the difficulty in correctly identifying seeds. There are 

 indeed comparatively few botanists who claim to be able 

 to identify more than a small proportion of the plants 

 they may know, by the seed alone. But this fact only em- 

 phasizes the desirability of undertaking just this line of 

 work, and but serves to illustrate the well-known fact that 

 work of real merit may not infrequently be done by the 

 amateur who merely seeks recreation. 



George P. Meeeill. 



Washington, Sept. 13, 1S93. 



Science in the Schools. 

 In a recent article, that well-known scientist, Dr. Groff of 

 Pennsylvania, stated that "it has long been the di'eam of 

 scientists that the time would come when the elements of 

 natural history and of the physical sciences would be 

 taught in secondary and primary schools." The college 

 professor would, indeed, welcome a greater familiarity on 

 the part of students entering theii- departments, with the 

 elements of the sciences; but just where this training 

 should begin is not so clear. There is an organized effort 

 being made in some of our leading educational cities to 

 establish this work in not only the secondary schools, but 

 in grammar and primary grades as well. While science 

 should receive a large share of attention in the high 

 schools, and presumably in the grammar grades, is it not 

 going just a little too far to force such work into the 

 primary grades ? It would certainly appear that, with all 

 the modern innovations already introduced into the 

 primary rooms, sufficient diversion is secured, and cer- 

 tainly, for jDure "busy work" the ideal seems to have been 

 reached. Then why crowd these little minds with this 

 additional load, unless it is really superior as a means of 



edu cation to those studies that are generally acknowledgde 

 so essential as a foundation for subsequent work? Again, 

 I submit that in this early formative period, teaching and 

 encouraging children to capture beautiful butterflies, 

 moths, crickets, or, in fact, any other insects, with the 

 purpose of killing them and joicking them to pieces, is not 

 inspiring a regard for God's creatures about them, which 

 sentiment should be instilled into these little people rather 

 than crushed out of existence. 



But I think that most agree that someiohere in the 

 grammar grades the elements of natural history should be 

 imparted. Such, however, is the present crowded con- 

 dition of the curriculum of our grammar schools that but 

 little, very little, time can be found for it. Nor, indeed, 

 would it be desirable to take much of the pupil's time for 

 such work, in view of the fact that so many studies of 

 more practical importance in life are taught, and rightly, 

 too, in these grades. In our public grammar schools 

 many boys and girls are kept along from year to year at 

 great sacrifices on the part of parents, and they should be 

 allowed to devote their time to such studies as they will 

 most need. It would, therefore, be manifestly unfair to 

 attempt more than the most rudimentary science work in 

 those grades below the high school. 



Heney Edgeeton Chapin. 



Ohio Universitj', Athens, O. 



The Ikonomatig Method. 



It is strange how difficult it seems for some writers to 

 understand this early, simple and widespread method of 

 recording sounds. 



Dr. Thomas in Science, Seijt. 8, presents a singular in- 

 stance of this, when commenting on my explanation of the 

 use of the turtle-sign in the glyph for the Maya month- 

 name Kayab. He says : " A compound of ak and yab 

 cannot be a derivative of kay." Of course not! The 

 nature of the ikonomatic theory forbids it ; for this has 

 reference not at all to derivation, but to other word or 

 words with solely homophonic, and not etymologic, afiini- 

 ties. 



When there are so many examples of ikonomatic hiero- 



FOSSIL RESINS. 



This book is the result of an attempt to 

 collect the scattered notices of fossil resins, 

 exclusive of those on amber. The work is of 

 interest also on account of descriptions given 

 of the insects found embedded in these long- 

 preserved exudations from early vegetation. 



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