PREFACE. 
This book was written to assist teachers in developing 
more fully than the limited space of a suggestive course of 
study would allow, the nature work laid out in the course of 
study for city and town schools of Indiana. Two objects in 
the nature study are kept constantly in mind; first, to arouse 
and cultivate the habit of observation, and second, to im¬ 
press the facts thus acquired upon the mind. Mr. Hershman 
recognizes the truth that children have a deep, strong, in¬ 
stinctive love for all things that live and all things that 
support life. 
From a close, personal acquaintance with the author 
for more than twenty years, I know that this book is the 
outgrowth of a rich, varied and thoughtful experience with 
child nature and the nature through which the child lives. 
It may be said that while this book is written from the sci¬ 
entific side, it is pedagogically correct, and more, it has a 
freshness of spirit that is in itself one of the most potent 
factors in education. 
“He gave us eyes to see these, 
And lips that'we might tell 
How great is God Almighty, 
Who hath made all things well.” 
D. M. Getting. 
Indianapolis, Ind., October, 1898. 
