October 27, 1893.] 



SCIENCE 



235 



5. A love of Nalure. Associated with a teacher pntliusi- 

 astic in the study of Nature and natural phenomena, 

 thoroughly imbued with a love of truth for its own sake, 

 the pupil can scarcely fail to catch something of the 

 teacher's spirit. A true aj^jsreciatiou, however, of the 

 works of the Creator can come only when he, by means of 

 scalpel and microscope, if need be, ie given an insight 

 into their real beauty, structure, harmonj' and wonderful 

 diversity. In this most important respect they differ 

 from the works of man, — the best of which must be 

 viewed from this or that standpoint, in certain lights only 

 or from a distance squinted at through a tin funnel. Na- 

 ture may thus be given a new charm for the pupil, his 

 walks to and from school, or into the country yield an 

 added pleasure, his happ)iness has been multiplied by a 

 factor, the value of which depends upon his teacher and 

 himself, but which is always greater than unity. He now 

 really 



"Finds tongues in trees, books in running brooks, 

 Sermons in stones, and good in everything." 



His mind engrossed in the contemplation of a plant, 

 animal or pebble, or absorbed in the interpretation of 

 some natural phenomenon, has little time for evil thoughts. 

 He must grow wiser, better and more loving. 1 cannot 

 agree with Professor Chapin that the collection of ani- 

 mals and plants and, if necessary, the "picking them to 

 pieces" lessens in any way, the pupils' "regard for God's 

 creatures." On the other hand, in this way is such re- 

 gard most certainly developed and maintained, a bird in 

 the hand being worth a dozen in the bush. This does 

 not imply that the pupil is to continue his killing and 

 picking to pieces, and my experience with boys is that- 

 those who have acquired the most intimate insight into 

 the wonders of Nature hesitate longest before wantonly 

 destroying any of her forms. 



Instruction in the so-called "Natural Sciences" is pecu- 

 liarly adapted to the lower grades. 1. The materials are, 

 on every hand, directly associated with the pupils at all 

 times, and constantly appealing to their intelligence. 2. 

 These sciences are, for the most part, "observational," and 

 their study admirably adapts itself to the natural devel- 

 opment of the child's mental faculties. 3. The child 

 takes a more active interest in everything that has been 

 produced by Nature — that has "growed" — and especially 

 is this true if the object is "alive." Were it not for this 

 the scientific study of jack-kuives or hairpins would serve 

 a good purjjose. 4. The collection of material takes the 

 pupil into the open air. 5. The supplies cost nothing be- 

 j ond a few lungs-full of this luxury, a brisk walk, an in- 

 creased circulation and a healthy cheek- glow. (J. The in- 

 formation obtained contributes to the general culture of 

 the pupil, is, at times, vital to his happ)iness and physical 

 well-being, and has the advantage, to him, of having, in 

 certain cases, a money-value aspect. In view of all that 

 has been said, I would pilace this instruction not only in 

 the primary grades, but into the kindergarten as well — 

 I would go a step further and have the child make a 

 feeble beginning while he is still tottering about his 

 mother's knees. He is then, in reality, more of a scient- 

 ist than he is given credit for. With the true inductive 

 sj)irit of an original investigator he is discovering, with 

 his spoon and ball, the laws of energy and the properties 

 of matter — a veritable "Newton in petticoats." 



Wide-awake teachers and superintendents experience 

 no insurmountable obstacle to introducing some instruc- 

 tion of this nature into the already crowded curriculum. 

 The time devoted to other subjects may be shortened by 

 a few minutes each and fifteen to thirty minutes secured 

 daily. It is confidently believed that the time lost in 

 each subject will be more than made up to it through 



the discipline secured and the refreshed minds and 

 spirits. 



If it is not deemed wise to have daily lessons weekly 

 exercises of thirty minutes each may be given Friday 

 afternoons, some of the lighter subjects, as spelling, read- 

 ing or penmanship giving way. This exercise may take 

 the place each week of some one of the regular studies, 

 changing from one to another, so that the loss to any one 

 is imperceptible. Were I in a school where none of these 

 methods could be put into practice, I would make the 

 work optional and give it after school hours. 



It is, perhaps, needless to remark that the entire course 

 from kindergarten to high school should be unified and 

 systematized. The observational sciences should come 

 first and the experimental later. A portion only of each 

 year should be devoted to any one science; zoology, bot- 

 any and geology in the spring and fall, and physiology, 

 chemistry and physics in the winter. 



Whether or not our educational systems have made the 

 failure ascribed to them by President Elliot, it is certain 

 that much is to be placed to the debit side of the account, 

 and it is gratifying to teachers of science to learn that 

 the discijjline he prescribes as a remedy, as well as much 

 in addition, is fullj' covered by genuine science work. 

 Pupils come from our schools with the verbal memory 

 well trained and, if the schor^l is of the best, some literary 

 culture, but the majority are perfect imbeciles, as far as 

 the use of their percej)tive and reasoning faculties is con- 

 cerned. In this particular they have gained but little, if 

 any, over their childhood, while with an acquired amount 

 of superstition, they fall a prey to imposters, quacks and 

 sharps. A single one of the Detroit dailies carries from 

 five to eight paid advertisements of clairvoyants who are 

 presumably making a living upon the gullible people of 

 that enlightened community. Some three weeks ago one 

 of them, advertising to cure a long list of diseases, includ- 

 ing all of a "strange and mysterious nature," was called 

 upon to treat a boy supposed to be bewitched. Think of 

 it ! In this enlightened age, in a state which boasts of 

 its educational system and almost within shouting dis- 

 tance of its great universitj'. Upon the stand she ad- 

 mitted having no knowledge of medicine, and it required 

 the coroner's jury to determine that she is a "fraud." 



Give science a place in the grades along with the so- 

 called "practical studies" and then shall we soon have a 

 "survival of theiittest." W. H. Shekzer. 



Mkhigan State Normal School, Ypsilanti, Oct. j?, 1S93. 



BOOK-EEVIEWS. 



Text-book of Geology. By Sir Archibald Gieicie. Third edi- 

 tion, revised and enlarged. London and New York. 

 Macmillan & Co. 1893. pp. svi, 1147, figs. 471, front- 

 ispiece. 



The promised revision of this well-known work has 

 just appeared in this country. The first edition came out 

 in 1882 and the second in 1885. As stated in the preface, 

 the book has been increased by about 150 pagesT The 

 value of the work has been further increased by the in- 

 sertion of copious references to important memoirs and 

 papers. 



The arrangement of the matter treated is that followed 

 in previous editions, the natural relations of the several 

 subjects of which might well have been brought out by 

 an introductory discussion of the philosophical classifica- 

 tion of geological jjhenomena proposed by Gilbert. The 

 sections on the characters of rocks have been largelj- re- 

 vised and new and imisroved illustrations introduced. 

 The rejjroduced i^hotographs of porphyritic and orbicular 

 structure on jjp. 99 and lol constitute a departure in 

 text-book illustration which ought to be adhered to in 



