sioners of the Department of Education, expressing 

 our willingness to have a course of introductory 

 lectures to the study of zoology, delivered at our 

 expense, to the Principals and the Teachers of natural 

 history in their Primary Schools. Our communication 

 was referred by that Board to its Committee on Course 

 of Study and School Books, who made the following 

 report, which was unanimously approved by the Board 

 and forwarded us a reply to our letter : 



" That, in the judgment of the Committee, the proposal of the American 

 Museum of Natural History to make its admirable collection available for the 

 Educational System of New York, deserves the acknowledgment of this Board. 



That the Committee believe that the children of the Public Schools should be 

 encouraged to visit the Museum at such time as they may have at their disposal, 

 being convinced that even the immature or uncultivated minds of children 

 receive most fruitful impressions from even a cursory and superficial acquaint- 

 ance with the objects presented and arranged in such collections. 



The arrangement of the course of studies for the schools would not permit 

 any disposition by which the children could be allowed or encouraged to frequent 

 the Museum on school days, and it is believed that such is not the purpose of the 

 communication of the Executive Committee of the American Museum of Natural 

 History. 



That the very simple elements of Natural Science taught in the Public 

 Schools, are imparted, almost entirely, in accordance with the requirements of 

 the course of study, by oral instruction, and that but little time is allowed to 

 them. Tour Committee, while not recommending any increase either in the 

 amount of instruction in Natural Science, or in the time devoted to it, are of 

 opinion that the existing requirements of the by-laws, in this particular, should 

 be fully complied with. Por this purpose the teachers themselves should be 

 thoroughly instructed in the branches in question. 



Oral instruction especially requires, on the part of the teacher, a thorough 

 familiarity with the subject. 



The proposal of the Executive Committee of the American Museum of Natural 

 History, it is understood, embraces a plan of gratuitous colloquial lectures, to be 

 delivered on any day that may be selected, to a class numbering about twenty- 

 five or thirty, the course to consist of not less than six lectures. Your Com. 

 mittee believe that such a class could readily be formed by voluntary action 

 among the teachers, directed by the City Superintendent, Saturda3 r being the 

 day selected for the lectures, when the school work would not be interfered 

 with. 



The creditable ambition displayed by the teachers who would embrace this 

 opportunity of improvement would result greatly to their own advantage, as well 

 as to that of the children falling under their instruction. It may be stated that 

 the Professors of the Normal College have visited the Museum with their pupils, 

 and profitably used the collection for illustration of their own lectures. 



