The Scottish Naturalist. 3 



country. The mansion-house of Montrave was next visited ; and 

 though the house itself was unoccupied, being under extensive 

 reconstruction, Mr. Gilmour entertained the company sumptuously 

 to luncheon in one of the coach-houses. After luncheon, the 

 party divided, one half devoting itself to botanising, and the other 

 to an excursion to Cults Lime works, where Prof. Heddle ex- 

 plained the geological features of the district, with special refer- 

 ence to the coal measures and the limestone beds. The in- 

 terior of the quarry was explored, to a distance of about a third 

 of a mile, the party being lighted on their way by a couple of 

 miner's lamps. A search for fossils in the debris of the quarry 

 yielded only a few shells. The botanists explored the district 

 around Montrave, Kilmux, and Clatto, and found an abundant 

 supply of moorland and water plants, among which were Catabrosa 

 aquatica, Veronica scutellata, Carex paniculata, and Habenaria 

 chlorantha. The whole company re-assembled at Montrave, where 

 they were entertained to tea before returning to Largo, carrying 

 with them very pleasant memories of the day's excursion. 



TEACHING OF NATURAL SCIENCE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS- 



By W. S. Blackstock. 

 (Read before the E.S. U.N.S. at Largo, on 2nd Aug., 1888.) 



I MAY be permitted to state that this paper is limited to the 

 subjects of Botany and Geology, and that I have been 

 led to bring this important matter under your notice owing 

 to an attempt which is at present being made by the Kirkcaldy 

 Natural History Society to create a love for natural objects 

 among school children, and to secure the systematic teaching of 

 Botany in the Public Schools in the district. 



I consider that the time has come when societies such as those 

 in the Union should insist upon the teaching of Natural History 

 subjects in our common schools, that our public teachers should 

 be trained to teach them, and that such subjects should 

 obtain the fostering care of the Education Department, and of all 

 Associations having for their objects the diffusion of a knowledge 



