134 APPENDIX. 
devoted teachers, especially females, are breaking down, 
from time to time, for want of air, exercise, and sunshine. 
The looking for objects for their lessons in Natural History 
would give them the very variety they want, for it would 
oblige them to take long walks over hills and through woods, 
in the sunshine and in the shade, to get these objects. 
Knowing the great value of something of Natural History 
in the earliest stages of education, I should be glad to see it 
introduced into every school, not in the shape of lessons to 
be learned, but as forming the subject for many general 
lessons given in a conversational way, and leading to con- 
versation in the school and at home. 
It is now common, in many of the very best schools, for 
the teachers to give instruction — not merely to hear lessons 
— but to give real instruction; and there are few subjects in 
which more interesting and valuable instruction can be given 
than the several departments of Natural Histon "y; and few 
sources from which the best materials may be drawn more 
surely than they may from the numbers of the AMERICAN 
NATURALIST. 
Very valuable instruction on these subjects has now for 
several years been given in the Normal Schools at Westfield, 
Bridgewater and Salem; and many of the teachers that have 
gone out from these schools are prepared to use, to excellent 
purpose, the knowledge given in most of the numbers of the 
American Narurauist. I have no doubt that, if the work 
were favored by the Legislature, the editors would see to it 
that there should be something of special interest to the 
teacher in every future number. 
[Remarks by W. H. Niles, Lecturer Mass. State Teachers’ Inst.] 
Mr. W. H. Niles spoke of the Narurauisr as adapted to 
the use of the teachers of public schools. It differs materi- 
ally from a text-book, and therein it has a feature of excel- 
lence. Text-books are condensed compilations, and are 
often written by those who have little or no experience âs 
