Taylor oti Geology in our Preparatory Schools. 317 
short study is crowded into some out of the way corner of the 
course. Many of our smaller colleges and normal schools do 
not give the subject more than ten or twelve weeks, (forty-five 
minutes per day, five days each week), most all this time being 
spent in reciting from the text-book. 
With these facts before us, it is no wonder, that while almost 
all schools provide apparatus for teaching biology, physics and 
chemistry, the material possessed for geological instruction con- 
sists mostly of a small collection of fossil curiosities, imperfectly 
labeled if classified at all. Many schools have well arranged 
courses in the chemical, physical and biological sciences, with 
provisions for laboratory work, and why may we not have simi- 
lar facilities for geological instruction? 
With the hope of calling out others the writer submits a brief 
outline for laboratory and field work in geology, time covering 
say ten weeks of two recitation periods per day. The outline 
is only suggestive, and doubtless might be improved in many 
ways. 
We usually begin the study of geology with: 
/. Lithology. 
1. Mineral determinations. 
a. A written description of at least twenty of the most 
common minerals to be found in the immediate vicinity. 
The pupil should be able to determine for himself the fol- 
lowing points, viz., form, color, structure, streak, lustre, 
transparency, cleavage, hardness, fracture, touch and specific 
gravity. Usually, before the student is asked to make out 
the above descriptions (unknowns) he should be given a set 
of typical minerals for careful examination and comparison. 
b. Blowi^Ipe analysis and neat record of at least five 
minerals. In blowpipe work the student should follow 
some well defined j^lan. We would suggest that the min- 
erals be studied in the following order: 
(i) Physical properties. 
(3) Examination In a sealed glass tube or matrass. 
(3) Examination In an open glass tube. 
(4) Examination on charcoal. 
(5) Examination with re-agents. 
(6) Examination on platinum wire. 
