PREFACE 



The following guide to the study of animals is intended 

 for pupils in secondary schools. It was prepared by the 

 authors at the request of the Biology Round Table, an 

 association composed of the teachers of Biology in the 

 Chicago High Schools, to whom the authors wish to take 

 this opportunity of expressing their appreciation of the 

 many helpful suggestions and criticisms of the manuscript. 



The time has passed when a high school course in 

 zoology consists simply of a somewhat simplified edition 

 of a similar course in college. All teachers now recog- 

 nize that the motivization of any course should be its 

 adaptability to the needs of the student, and that zoology 

 must be taught from the standpoint of the student rather 

 than that of the subject. In preparing this guide, the 

 authors have tried to keep these points in mind. 



The matter of presentation, the order of topics, and the 

 choice of material has been much discussed, but the trend 

 of opinion has finally set in toward an ecological rather 

 than a type study of animals ; that there should be in the 

 case of young students a brief study of rather a large 

 number of animals to bring out some general biological 

 law, rather than an exhaustive study of a very few types. 

 It is further recognized that the use of a reference library 

 is absolutely essential in connection with and to supple- 

 ment the laboratory work, as there are some topics beyond 

 the ability of the young student for original investigation 



