MANUAL OF NATURE STUDY. 
13 
2. Autumn Leaves .— a . Collection of. b . Study 
typical forms. £. Drawings, d . Descriptions both 
oral and written. 
Before beginning the work on leaves, the teacher 
should read thoroughly the chapters on leaves in 
Gray’s Botany, or some other good text, and also 
study the leaves themselves. With Second Year 
pupils, the external form and appearance are all 
that can be taught to good advantage. Select sev¬ 
eral varieties, after teaching the parts of a single 
leaf, and compare them in regard to size, shape, 
color, surface, margin and veins. Such exercises 
will lead to the following conclusions: 
1. There are two kinds of leaves, simple and 
compound, a . Simple leaves have but one blade 
on a foot stalk, b. A compound leaf has two or 
more bladelets, each usually with a separate petiole, 
but all joined to one common petiole. 
2. The under surface of leaves is usually lighter 
in color than the upper surface. 
3. All leaves have veins which proceed from the 
petiole, but they are arranged in different ways in 
different leaves. 
4. The margins or edges of leaves are either 
smooth or cut and notched in various ways. 
5. Leaves vary in shape, size and color, so that 
the leaf of one kind of plant can always be distin¬ 
guished from that of another. 
