INTRODUCTION 13 



12. Appliances for Individual Use. — In addition to the 

 general outfit for the school, each pupil should be pro- 

 vided with — 



A good penknife. 



A drawing book (or drawing paper) and a blank book 

 for taking notes. 



A book for dried specimens, made by sewing together 

 two or three sheets of unsized paper, such as newspapers 

 are printed on ; this can be purchased from a printer. 



Two well-pointed pencils, one hard, the other medium. 



A pair of dissecting needles ; wax-headed steel pins will 

 do, but better ones can be made by running the heads of 

 ordinary sewing needles into handles of soft wood and 

 gluing them in. 



Two bits of glass, not larger than a visiting card, as 

 thin and clear as can be obtained, for inclosing specimens 

 that must be held up to the light for examination. The 

 glass plates sold for photograph negatives serve well for 

 this purpose. 



A good hand lens. The glasses known as " linen 

 testers " can be purchased for twenty-five cents apiece, 

 and make very good magnifiers. 



A special place ought to be provided in the schoolroom 

 for storing all these articles, and the strictest order exacted 

 in the care of them. They should always be ready when 

 wanted, and never used for any other purpose. 



13. Living Material. — A number of potted plants should 

 always be kept in the schoolroom, especially in cities, for 

 observation and experiment. Among those recommended 

 for this purpose are the following : — 



One or two ferns. 



A calla lily, or other arum. 



A young India rubber tree {Fictis elastica). 



A pot of " wandering Jew " {Zebrina penduld). The 

 plain, green-leaved varieties are best. 



Some kind of prickly cactus. The common prickly pear 

 (Opuntid) and the Mamillaria make good specimens. 



