LABORATORY SUGGESTIONS , 539 



It is through the judicious criticism of the drawings that the teacher can best 

 bring out the deficiencies in the student's observations. One teacher cannot do 

 justice to a laboratory section of more than twelve or fifteen students. A good 

 portion of the failure accredited in some quarters to the laboratory method is 

 due to inefficient direction. The laboratory will no more run itself than wUl the 

 class room. 



The drawings, however, are by no means the most important part of the 

 student's notes. It is more difficult and more valuable for a student to record his 

 observations and conclusions in good, concise, exact English sentences than in 

 drawings. 



It is very desirable that students keep a field note-book, of size suitable for the 

 pocket, in which all his own outdoor observations should be entered and dated. 

 These notes may be put into fuller form in the reports called for in the body of the 

 text. It is chiefly through the encouragement of such work as this that the teacher 

 may hope to develop in his students a permanent interest in natural history, 

 which will contribute materially to their satisfaction in later life. It is thus that 

 men and women come to devote their lives to nature study. 



7. Library Helps. — The library is quite as necessary to a balanced course of 

 zoology as the textbook, the teacher, or the laboratory. First under this head 

 may be considered charts. The teacher should become as expert as possible in 

 making diagrams on the board before the eyes of the pupils. These may be sup- 

 plemented by charts made by the teacher, or the pupils, by enlarging figures found 

 in the textbooks. Such diagrams have a distinct advantage over the originals 

 in that they may be discussed while in view of the whole class. It is excellent 

 practice for the pupils to make copies of tables and figures for class use. For 

 this purpose a good quality of light-colored wrapping paper will serve, if better 

 drawing paper cannot be had. Keuffel and Esser (New York and Chicago) will 

 send samples of drawing paper on application. The outlines should be made in 

 water-colors with a suitable brush, in lines heavy enough to be clearly visible 

 across the room. Colors may be put on with crayon and fixed by a spray of 

 shellac. 



Photographs and lantern shdes are of value in illustrating the structure, 

 development, and habits of animals. If the school can command a lantern or a 

 heliopticon, a collection of lantern slides, selected in accordance with the special 

 interests of the teacher and pupils, becomes a great stimulus in natural history work. 

 If a large collection of books is impossible the brief lists below will assist the teacher 

 in selecting the most helpful reference books for an elementary course. More 

 extended bibliographical lists will be found in many of the books cited. A very 

 good working collection of books may be secured for about $150 to $200. 



In every written report demanding library work it is desirable to have the 

 student record in his paper a list of all the references bearing on the subject. It 

 is customary to arrange the authorities alphabetically, together with such other 

 facts as are needed for ready reference. The following illustration will serve to 

 indicate what facts should be recorded: 

 Parker and Haswell. 



'21. A Textbook of Zoology. Vol. i, pp. 580-583, illustrations. 



In addition to the books listed below the teacher should endeavor to secure, 

 through his representative in congress, the publications of the U. S. Department 

 of Agriculture: the Yearbook, the Farmers' Bulletins, the bulletins of the Bureau 



