THE AUTHOR’S NOTE TO TEACHERS. 
Tuts book is intended chiefly for the use of Primary Schools, 
and for the younger pupils in Higher Schools and Seminaries. 
So much has, of late, been urged by those who take an interest 
on the subject of education, in favour-of introducing the Natural 
Sciences into Common Schools, that it is to be hoped that the 
time is not far distant when plants and minera]: will be as fa- 
miliar objects of study in our District schc. -aouses, as the 
spelling book now is. Perhaps some parent or teacher may be 
ready to inquire, whether it is recommended that such studies 
shall. take the place of reading, spelling, or writing—by no 
means; but every teacher knows that there are many listless 
and vacant moments when even the most active of his pupils 
seem tired of their monotonous pursuits ;—habit and respect for 
their teacher may lead them to sit still and do no mischief; 
they may even look demurely upon the open page before them, 
as if intent upon studying a spelling or reading lesson, or it 
may be of geography or grammar lessons which they have (to 
use a homely ahtade) hammered their minds upon, until the 
have become unconscious of any impression from them; but it 
is not difficult to perceive by the heavy eye, and inanimate 
countenance, that the intellect slumbers. These are the mo- 
“ments when the experienced teacher feels the need of some 
new stimulant to be applied to the torpid powers, which it is 
his business to strengthen and develope by keeping in action. 
Instead then of saying with magisterial dignity, or peevish fret- 
fulness, ‘John, (or Lucy,) you have been sitting idle this half 
hour! why don’t you mind your book ?”—he who understands 
the operation of the human mind, is aware that this is the ver 
way still more to disgust his pupil with his pursuits; and suc 
a teacher will assuredly be ready to adopt some new method ot 
awakening attention. We will suppose then, instead of a re- 
buke for idleness, the teacher should kindly address his pupil 
in something like the following terms. ‘“ You have been so 
long engaged upon a certain set of studies, that I perceive they 
have become tiresome; I think of introducing a new study into 
school; to-morrow I shall give a lecture on Botany ; you may 
bring with you all the wild lilies, (or all the violets, or anv 
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