196 BOOK NOTICES 



BOOK NOTICES 



Our Common Birds. Suggestions for the study of their iavk 

 and Work, by Proe. C. F. Hodge. 



This is the second of the Nature Study Leaflets in the Ticlcgy sciies 

 issued by Dr. Hodge, and contains many valuable suggestions for the study 

 of birds in schools. 



The bird census will be found useful and attractive to children, but we 

 are particularly pleased with the description given of taming wild birds, it is 

 excellent. Other articles in this little pamphlet are also good, and we wish 

 that it might be in the hands of every teacher in the country. The only 

 criticism which we have to offer is, that, whiie we agree with Dr. Hodge in 

 considering " stuffed" or, as we presume he means, mounted birds unfit for 

 school use, we do not find the same objections to skins of birds, and we can 

 never believe that pictures of natural objects should replace these objects in 

 the schoolroom when the specimens themselves can be prccuied. 



Observation Blanks in Mineralogy by Herbet Ernest Austin, 

 Boston, D. C. Heath & Co. 



This is an excellent text beck or guide to observation lessons on miner- 

 als, written by one who is thoroughly conversant with his subject. The 

 printed matter is in the form of questions, followed by a blank space in which 

 the answer is to be written by the pupil. In order to answer these ques- 

 tions correctly, the pupil must examine the specimens. While the questions 

 do not in any way give a clew to the answer, they are so skilfully given as to 

 call the pupil's attention to the facts which the author wishes observed ; thus 

 the subject of the lesson is drawn from the pupil. In other words, he is taught 

 how to reason upon the subject in hand in a clear and concise manner. It goes 

 without saying, that this is the ideal method of teaching, and if we are to have 

 text books at all, we wish that they could, in the first place, be written 

 by those who are as thoroughly familiar with their subject as is Prof. Austin, 

 and in the second place, that they cculd be written in the f'eim of suggesthe 

 questions. 



