INTRODUCTION. 5 



While the pupils are becoming familiar with the 

 life of insects, they can be taught something of their 

 structure and of their classification ; but with young 

 pupils these subjects should be subordinated to the 

 study of the activities of insects. In the first eight 

 lessons (pages 9-21) the parts of an insect that can be 

 seen without dissection are described. A locust or 

 grasshopper is used as an example, and serves as a 

 type ; in later chapters considerable attention is given 

 to the more obvious modifications of structure corre- 

 lated with the peculiar habits of the insects described. 

 So much of structure as is desirable for the pupils 

 to learn can be taught incidentally while they are 

 observing the habits of the insects. 



After the school has been supplied with an aqua- 

 rium and one or more breeding cages, provision 

 should be made for preserving a collection of insects. 

 Nothing will more surely maintain an interest in Na- 

 ture study than a growing collection of insects made 

 by the pupils themselves. Do not buy a collection; 

 the specimens that a class can collect in a single sum- 

 mer day will be worth more as a stimulus to personal 

 observation than a purchased collection. In Chapter 

 II (pages 22-50) are given several lessons for begin- 

 ners on collecting and preserving specimens ; and 

 in Part II (pages 284-325) are suggestions for more 

 advanced work in this direction. 



In a word, the Nature-study work should not be a 

 fixed, definite course ; the most available objects of 

 the locality and season should be selected for study, 

 and these observed from as many points of view as 

 possible. One day observe habits ; another, study 

 structure ; and later learn something of classification 



