Education for the Blind 57 



Health, Insects, Habitat Groups of Reptiles and Amphibians, 

 and in the Darwin Hall. 



On Saturday, January 20, a special exhibition of motion pic- 

 ture film entitled "How Life Begins" was given, to which the 

 teachers of Greater New York were invited. Dr. Fisher gave 

 an introductory talk. The attendance was 527. 



Evening lectures for adults, lessons for the "sight classes" of 

 the public schools, and loans of natural history specimens and 

 relief globes of the world have constituted the 

 Education for Museum's principal activities in its instruction 

 for the blind. The course of study for the chil- 

 dren consisted of a series of ten talks on natural science, geog- 

 raphy and travel, industrial life and history. The teachers 

 selected from three to five of the topics and came to the Mu- 

 seum with their pupils during school hours. 



In the evening entertainments for the adult blind, an unusual 

 experiment was made — a talk on "Wild Flowers of Summer," 

 by Dr. G. Clyde Fisher. The Museum foyer was filled with 

 freshly gathered flowers. About 200 blind examined the blos- 

 soms and leaves before hearing the lecture, and carried them 

 home at its close. Through the courtesy of Mr. Lorillard 

 Spencer, Jr., Mr. W. B. Holcombe and Mr. C. Elmore Smith, 

 the Boy Scouts of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Richmond respec- 

 tively, kindly acted as guides. 



The Jonathan Thorne Memorial Fund supports the educa- 

 tion for the blind. It provides not only for the running ex- 

 penses of the work, but it adds new equipment to that already 

 in stock. Through it, this year, a tellurian, a loom for hand 

 weaving, models of Indian homes and primitive instruments 

 for fire-making have been purchased. 



Docent service is provided by the Department for teachers 

 and classes visiting the Museum. This cooperation is not lim- 

 ited to the public schools, but is extended to in- 

 clude the private and parochial schools, and it is 

 not confined to Greater New York. Guides are also furnished 

 for members of the Museum and their friends when requested. 

 The calls from these various sources are frequent and the time 



