The Queensland Naturalist. 
December, 1926 
lb 
The August excursion was held at Sunnybank, and was 
devoted to Botany, the wild flowers being in great pro- 
fusion. Explanatory notes were given on the different 
species of flowers and trees by Messrs. D. A. Herbert, G. 
H. Barker, and C. T. White. 
The September excursion was held at Ashgrove* 
when the opportunity was taken of the visit to Brisbane 
of Mr. A. II. Chisholm, of Sydney, a past president of the 
Queensland Naturalists’ Club, and present President of 
the New South Wales Branch of the Royal Australian 
Ornithologists’ Union, to deliver a short lecture on the 
teaching of nature study in schools. 
Mr. Chisholm remarked that it was not difficult to 
learn about birds. One drifted into it on no set method. 
He himself had studied in the “university of the bush.” 
They could go about the bush and fill in their time very 
pleasantly studying natural history. Bird study would 
not be of any use to them if they made it a hard and 
fast curriculum. It would be better to leave the subject 
•alone altogether, if they did not approach it with a 
►certain amount of humanity. 
It would be the duty of the student teachers in the 
future to come in contact with many children, and he 
hoped they would interest their pupils in nature study, 
so that they would makje it part of their lives. The first 
thing a growing child noticed was a flower, and then its 
awakening intelligence seized upon the birds. ‘‘If yon 
•are going to do any good for the children,” said Mr. 
Chisholm, “you must investigate natural history as 3 
hobby. Do not worry about hard and fast methods 
You will get science in time. Also, do not let any of the 
children you chance to teach get into their heads that 
this is a hard and fast subject to be hammered into them 
like arithmetic. Make it a hobby, and a pleasure in your 
life and theirs. 
Later in the afternoon the party divided up into 
sections under the leadership of Mrs. W. M. Mayo 
(Hon. Secretary), Mr. G. H.. Barker, and Mr. Chisholm, 
to ramble along the creek-side and study what birds 
could be observed. 
The last meeting of the year was held on Friday 
October 29th, when lectures, illustrated by lantern slides 
on Australian plant life were delivered at the Biology 
Department of the Queensland University by Messrs. D 
A. Herbert, M.Sc., and C. T. White. 
