58 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



grub, pupa and beetle (Passalus Cornutus). 



The logical expression of the seqnenceB 

 in the development in insect life, if repeated 

 frequently, will become one of habit, and 

 will tell powerfully in many other ways. 

 Not long ago the Principal of one of our larg- 

 est Model Schools stated to me during a con- 

 versation, that almost invariably he could 

 pick out the teachers-in-traiDing under him 

 who had received a science training in the 

 High Schools. Science-trained pupils could 

 develop a lesson along natural lines in proper 

 logical order, so that they were thoroughly 

 pedagogical in all their work. 



5. Let the study of insects be 

 one of relaxation from the more 

 arduous duties of the school. The 

 pupil must never have " Examin- 

 ations " on the subject, else the 

 knowledge of facts will soon be con- 

 sidered by pupils the chief aim of 

 the study. Even the observations 

 to be made must be incidental, just 

 as the quettions must be informal. 



The child mind craves for in- 

 formal instruction along such lines, 

 and " the school becomes a delight- 

 ful place, and the teacher an angel 

 of light." 



When? 



The amount of time allotted to 

 this study should not be much. 

 Let it creep in whenever the teacher 

 feels that there is a need of relax- Fig. 32, transformations of a Dragon-Fly. 



ation, or when he has material for a good lesson. Some have advocated devoting a period- 

 to the work on Friday afternoons, but I would not limit the period to any particular 

 time. It should not appear at all in the programme of studies. The youngest child] is 

 not too young to make observations and to try to give explanations. 



Teacher's Equipment. 



The greatest difficulty at the present day is to secure properly equipped teachers. 

 This difficulty will gradually disappear as nature-courees are placed on the curricula of 

 Normal and Model Schools, but a few words, I think, will not be out of place here regard- 

 ing books with which the nature teacher should be familiar. 



1. Comstock's Insect Life, published by the Appletons, is the best hand-book of sug- 

 gestions, directions and methods for teachers that we have in America. Outlines of 

 studies are given on pond life, brook life, orchard life, forest life and roadside life, while 

 methods of collecting and preservation of specimens are sketched very clearly. Price 

 $2.50. 



2. Comstock's Manual for the Study of Insects takes easily first place as an Identi- 

 fication Book, and should be in every Entomologist's library. It contains keys to the 



