ADDRESS. 147 



For this purpose, if you compare the contents of an 

 Elementary Science Primer with those of a Nature Study 

 Primer, you will ]jerceive a difference distinctly to the 

 advantage of Nature Study. Here are some headings from 

 a book entitled " The Science of Common Life " : — 



Long and Square Measure. Weight and 

 Density. Thermometer. The Atmosphere. Burning 

 and Crusting. The Air. Water and its Constituents. 

 The Sugars. Alcohol and Alcoholic Beverages. 

 A Loaf of Bread. Fats and Oils. The Human 

 Frame. Digestion and Diet. Micro-organisms, and 

 their Work. 

 Here are the contents of a recent Nature Study book 

 under the heading " Animal Life : " — 



The liabbit : A Typical Mammal. How a 

 Rabbit lives. Some other Mammals. The Pigeon : 

 A P'ypical Bird. The Development and Education 

 of the Chick. Some Familiar British Birds. 

 Frogs and Tadpoles. The Habits and Life His- 

 tories of Common Insects. Some Crustaceans, 

 Molluscs and Worms. 

 You see the boy starts from his rabbit, and is led through 

 something like a survey of the animal kingdom. Everything 

 is alive. So with the Plants. But any other subject will do 

 equally well, provided that the method is the same, /.<?., 

 observation rather than destruction, or even collection, as its 

 main principle. " If you couldn't make it, you shouldn't 

 break it," is a good old maxim in this connection. 



Botany, Zoology, Meteorology, Geology, the effects of 

 frost, the effects of rain, any of these may be laid under 

 contribution according to circumstances, the season of the year, 

 the locality, &c. But Nature Study must be a real and personal 

 study of nature on the part of every boy. Every boy should 

 be engaged in watching some natural phenomenon, recording 

 his observations, his experiments, his discoveries. 



Every boy should be learning how to learn. The tw^o 

 gorgeous volumes on the table are meant to tell the world that 

 even Eton College is giving attention to Nature Study. 



What it may mean to a boy in the way of reformation is 

 w ell illustrated by the attitude inculcated towards bird-nesting. 

 This is how^ the thing is done according to the Laws of Nature 

 Study. First find your nest, be careful not to disturb the parent 

 birds, observe them all you can, observe the nest and eggs 

 only w^hen they are left for you to see, copy the eggs in clay, 

 powder and paint them as carefully as possible. Finally, 



