AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 257 



delightful environments as were enjoyed at this camp. The following 

 letters from the president of the society, some of the cainpers and 

 lecturers will show what was done and how it was enjoyed: 



By W. H. Raymenton, M. D. 

 President of Worcester Natural History Society. 



Twenty years ago, in 1885, the Worcester Natural History Society 

 organized the Natural History Camp for boys, which proved to be the 

 pioneer of many similar camps since established throughout the country. 

 In 1887 it organized a camp for families and in 1890 a camp for girls. 



In the line of evolution in 1905 it established a Summer Camp for 

 teachers and nature students at Natural History Park, Lake Quinsi- 

 gamond, and we will state briefly something of the work carried on. 



The success of all these camps and especially the one this summer 

 has been very largely due to the material assistance and wise counsel 

 of Thomas H. Dodge, Esq., of Worcester. 



The chief aim of the Society in this Summer Camp is to assist teach; 

 ers to a better preparation for the handling of Nature Study subjects- 

 and for this purpose, there are organized classes in elementary biology, 

 botany, entomology, ornithology and mineralogy, with both field and 

 laboratory work. As an example of the method of study, the work in 

 biology, in part, centers around the construction and maintain ance of 

 aquaria and vivaria. A series of lectures are given, and informal talks 

 to individuals daily upon topics of a more or less systematic character 

 for the general culture of the student. 



Special topics, such as the aquarium, its uses, its construction, its 

 stocking and the maintainance of a biological and physiological balance 

 within it, are considered, together with the study of the flora and fauna 

 of a pond from the standpoint of their usefulness in preserving a bal- 

 ance of life. 



The uses of the snail, the fresh water mussel, the tadpole, the newt, 

 the fish and the water plant in preserving this balance are demonstrated. 



In the laboratory the students are enabled, at small cost, to make thier 

 own aquarium under the guidance of a competent instructor. Thus, at 

 the end of the season, any teacher so minded can go home to his or her 

 school, not only with a well stocked aquarium, but also with such an 

 acquaintance with the life within it that she will be enabled to use it as 

 the basis for the Nature Study work in her schoolroom. 



In a similar manner, entomology is taken up. Material is at hand for 

 mounting and preserving specimens, showing the life cycles of butter- 

 flies, moths, beetles, dragon-flies, etc. Daily walks are taken to collect 

 insects, and provision is made for rearing and carrying them through 



