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PROCEEDINGS: BOSTON SOCIETY NATURAL HISTORY. 
REPORT OF THE CURATOR OF THE TEACHERS’ SCHOOL OF 
SCIENCE, PROF. GEORGE H. BARTON. 
Lowell Free Courses. 
Field Courses. 
These consisted, as during the past three years, of three definite 
courses of instruction, botany, zoology, and geology. The object 
of each course is to train the members of the class in making obser¬ 
vations and investigations in the field. Although there is no direct 
connection between the field and the laboratory courses, the former 
distinctly supplement the latter and those who take both derive a 
much greater benefit from the work. There are so many, however, 
who cannot take both, that it is considered advisable to keej) them 
as separate courses. 
Field work, especially where a large percentage of the class con¬ 
sists of women, is affected strongly by the weather. During the 
past year there were many stormy or partially stormy Saturdays, 
which produced a very fluctuating attendance. Each course con¬ 
sists of ten lessons in the spring and a like number in the autumn. 
Botany .— This course, in charge of Mr. Hollis Webster, during 
the spring had an average attendance of 26.2; the largest number 
present at one time being 44, the smallest 7. The average attend¬ 
ance during the autumn was 21.8 ; the largest at one time being 29, 
the smallest 13. 
Special attention was given to the Thallophytes, especially the 
fungi, as this group had been studied in the classroom during the 
winter. At the same time trees and shrubs, as well as other plants, 
were always under observation. 
The brief key to orders and genera of the fungi by Prof. E. H. 
Burt was used by the class. It was constantly an aim to demon¬ 
strate the availability of such plants as came under observation for 
purposes of class instruction. 
The following places were visited: Hammond’s woods at 
Chestnut Hill (three times), ISTorumbega Park, Blue Hill Reserva¬ 
tion, Salem pastures, Lowell Junction, Arnold Arboretum (twice), 
Cohasset, sandplains and dunes at Ipswich (twice), Purgatory 
swamp, Cunningham woods at East Milton, Lynn woods, Muddy 
