X INTRODUCTION. 



Religious instruction, with certain other definite 

 subjects, such as Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, His- 

 tory, and ^Geography, must form the foundation of all 

 teaching in schools, but whilst these must be equally 

 taught in all, there are always specific subjects to 

 be added ; and it will probably be found advisable 

 to adapt these, more frequently than is done at 

 present, to the circumstances of the locality in which 

 the schools are situated ; so that information should 

 be given in agricultural, manufacturing, and inland 

 districts, somewhat differing to that given at the 

 sea-board and in towns. 



Your lessons on Bees are admirably calculated 

 to point out how such information can be given, 

 without adding any additional pressure to the al- 

 ready high -pressure system of education in vogue 

 at the present time ; and to direct attention to the 

 means of conveying instruction to children in matters 

 which would naturally enter largely into their occu- 

 pations on leaving school. 



I trust your interesting little book may be a 

 pioneer in this direction, and give an impulse to 

 Reading lessons calculated to give to children inform- 

 ation of an accurate and interesting kind, bearing, in 

 some measure, on their daily life, and strengthening 

 their powers of observation on things familiar to their 

 eyes and hands, yet with which they are, through lack 

 of observation, imperfectly acquainted. 



