288 PROCEEDINGS : BOSTON SOCIETY NATURAL HISTORY. 
fourth in a series on geology which had already occupied three years, 
the entire series being over 120 hours. The average attendance 
this winter was 83. The instruction in this course was given by 
means of lectures supplemented by numerous diagrams, charts, and 
maps, and also by specimens of rocks and fossils illustrating the 
various formations. Owing to the large size of the class and the 
great cost of many of the necessary specimens, the teaching collec¬ 
tion of this course is not so well supplied as might be desired. 
At each of The fifteen lessons, with the exception of the first and 
last, examinations were given covering all of the ground passed 
over previous to the time of the examination. A final examination 
was given two weeks after the last lesson. The aim of this was to 
present a resume of the term’s work. 
Fifty-two persons took all the examinations; of these thirty-five 
passed with credit, four passed with honor, and the remainder passed 
with good standing. 
Dr. R. W. Greenleaf gave a course of fifteen lessons of two 
hours each upon the elementary structure and function of the parts 
of flowering plants. 
A syllabus of topics was distributed to the class, and abundant 
illustrative material was provided at each exercise. Each lesson 
consisted of a brief written examination on the work of the 
preceding exercise, and a lecture followed by laboratory work for 
another hour. The average attendance was thirty-nine. 
At the close of the course a written examination, based on the 
work of the entire year, was held. This included the practical 
study and description of specimens. Twenty-seven persons pre¬ 
sented themselves. Thirteen passed with honor, six with credit, five 
passed, and three failed. The progress of the class was satisfactory, 
considering the limited time given to the subject and more especially 
considering the extremely defective training of the pupils. This 
want of training was shown not merely by a lack of familiarity 
with the elementary facts of botany, but by their inaptitude in the 
objective study of facts. 
The Curator gave the third in the series of courses on elementary 
zoology. It was found impracticable to do more in the thirty-four 
hours actually occupied than to study selected types of the Mollusca 
as regards their macroscopic characters. Seventeen lessons of two 
hours each were given, beginning Nov. 19, 1897, and ending 
March 26, 1898. The class was larger than in previous years, the 
