554 | General Notes. [June, 
the tip of an elm and of a maple branch. The students were 
given no further instruction. They are never told what to look 
for. From my pile of sketches and descriptions I quote the whole 
of the first one without making any selection : 
“1, Drawing of maple branch with terminal and opposite lat- 
eral buds. Stem thick and of a red color, covered with small 
specks. Wood not so tough as elm. Buds more tender. 2. 
Drawing of elm twig with a terminal bud and alternate lateral 
buds. ood compact and tough. Buds appear to be better pro- 
tected from weather than maple.” The drawing, if not the de- 
scription, would indicate that the maple is Acer dasycarpum. 
For the next field work each member of the class was requested 
to make a study of the last year’s growth of a branch of each of 
two kinds of Acer. What is Acer? was one of the first ques- 
tions each member answered for himself. This lesson brought 
out the specific peculiarities of members of the same genus 
peculiarities not easily found in books within the reach of stu- 
dents. One of the first duties of a teacher in natural science 1S 
to keep students away from printed descriptions. They must go 
to the objects and make their own descriptions. I quote again 
from the first paper : 
“The bark of No. 1 is of a lightish color and it is difficult to 
tell a year’s growth, while that of No. 2 is of a red color and it 
is very easy to recognize a year’s growth, as there is a marked 
difference in the color. The coverings of the buds of No. rare 
much more scaly than those of No. 2, and they are also more 
me closely attached to their buds than those of No. 2 are attached 
. to their buds. The internodes of the first are much shorter than 
_ thoseof the second. The year’s growth of the first is shorter 
os than that of the second, as it grows moré slowly.” 
= Mauch better work than this is found on several papers. The 
“ chance selection ” is not far below the average. The following 
i its next meeting and written 
 answ ` ave í | 
_ the last year’s growth? (2) What are the differences in the ee of 
ow 
(el 
tal 
r two mic - 
thout here fully following out the course, it may be m 
