v1 INTRODUCTION, 
be taken, and the pupils themselves be made to degen 
Then a plant differing more widely, such as single gat ii 
anemone, or adonis-flower, may be taken, and the io oe 
inethod adopted. In each case the work should be gone over 
again by the teacher, so that errors may be corrected, and 
points which haye been omitted may be noted. At first the 
text-book or the notes taken in class should be used asa guide, 
but later on the pupils should be made to depend on their 
memory alone for the correct terminology. Wherever possible 
they should be called upon to illustrate their exercises by 
drawings taken from the specimens before them. Some of the 
earlier attempts will be sufficiently discouraging, but by per- 
sistence the difficulty will be largely overcome. 
A very large number of type-examples have been selected— 
far more than is usually considered necessary ; butitis absurd 
to expect that school-pupils can acquire a good knowledge of 
structural botany from the examination, say, of half a dozen 
types. Repetition is necessary to impress any matter on 
juvenile minds, and it is only by actual examination of the 
numerous details of structure exhibited by the plants selected 
that pupils will be enabled to grasp satisfactorily the principles 
of classification. It will be noticed that most. of the types 
selected are introduced plants, not indigenous to New Zealand. 
The reason of this is simply that in all the larger centres of 
population the native flora has to a great extent disappeared, 
and only introduced species are readily obtainable. But 
reference has been made, wherever it was considered advis- 
able, to all those forms of native plants which are still some- 
what readily accessible. 
The only apparatus required for the work laid down here 
consists of a sharp penknife, a couple of needles set in wooden 
handles, and a pocket magnifying-glass ; but every one should 
be provided with these requisites. In examining any plant it 
should be impressed on the pupils never to cut or tear their 
specimen to pieces until they have learned all that they can 
from it in its entirety. 
