362 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



way if you will, but still technically 

 correct. It should have in connection 

 with it, a small museum, which would 

 be best in a separate room. It need 

 not be large, nor expensive, because 

 if the children were ta.ken out of doors 

 for their lessons at stated times, not only 

 would they learn more, but would be 

 able to collect specimensfor themuseum 

 and themselves. One specimen so 

 collected will leave a much deeper im- 

 pression on the young mind, than an 

 hour's talk from the Teacher. Round 

 the walls of the school, might be hung 

 dried specimens of plants, mounted on 

 card board, with their name, both 

 scientific and common, the natural 

 order, uses, medicinal qualities, or other 

 matter of interest. Pictures of animals 

 are often hung there now, but we have 

 never seen a case where the selection 

 was made with any judgment, or scien- 

 tific knowledge. Children know a Cow 

 or an Elephant when they see it now, and 

 pictures representing the various fami- 

 lies of the mammalia would be of more 

 value, than a few odd figures of well- 

 known animals. We question whether 

 a knowledge of any section of Natural 

 Science is of more value than of Botany 

 and Entomology, and while many people 

 would admit the usefulness of Botanical 

 knowledge, few know the importance 

 of Entomology. We would have each 

 school provided with a collection of 

 insects, which should be so selected 

 that most information could be had 

 from it respecting those insects that are 

 of value to man, or specially injurious. 

 Along with the specimens m their 



different stages, we would give instruc- 

 tions for lessening the numbers of those 

 that are injurious, as well as any 

 interesting facts connected with their 

 economy. 



In the earlier numbers of this Maga- 

 zine we gave a series of Articles on the 

 " Orders of Insects" which we intended 

 to be a general outline of the Orders in 

 their various phases, as well as to give a 

 little popular or interesting information. 

 We know there is great difficulty in bring- 

 ing knowledge of this kind, before those 

 that are most in need of it, and plain 

 reading without pictures or speci- 

 mens almost requires some previous 

 knowledge. To show more clearly 

 what we desire to see, we have arranged 

 a collection of real insects interspersed 

 with cuttings from this text, with water 

 color drawings and other matters that 

 we think will not only be attractive but 

 instructive. We propose to give a brief 

 description of it, so that our idea may 

 be better understood. The collection 

 is arranged in a small cabinet of ten 

 drawers which are arranged as fol- 

 lows : — 



1 Introductory. — Showing the differ- 



ent stages insects pass through; 

 magnified drawings of eggs of in- 

 sects, preserved larwe, pupae and 

 imagines. 



2 Hemipteba and Homoptera. — With 



numerous examples of the orders. 



3 Orthoptesa — Containing Grass- 



hoppers, Locusts, the curious 

 Mole Cricket, Cockroaches, Ear- 

 wigs, showing their beautiful wings 

 as well as with their vine's folded. 



