vi PREFACE 
enlarge the vocabulary, and to employ special terms to express 
additions made to the child’s knowledge—indeed, the only terms 
which will adequately and accurately express them. There is no 
more difficulty for a child in the names corolla and pollen than in 
the words chrysanthemum or dandelion. 'The terms themselves 
are extremely convenient for both teacher and pupil, and if not 
acquired too rapidly, there is no reason why they should not be 
taught with the best results. ‘The danger to be avoided is the 
clothing of the subject in its initial stages with a mass of 
technical terminology, which would undoubtedly have the 
twofold effect of confusing the mind and creating a distaste for 
the subject. Introduced slowly, however, and only when 
necessary, such terms will prove a very real aid in making the 
subject better understood. 
All schools, even the smallest, should possess a museum 
containing collections of plants, animals, rocks, and minerals. 
Of these, many will be essential for purposes of illustration, and 
all will prove of value in familiarising pupils with objects either 
directly or indirectly connected with the courses of instruction. 
Too much importance, however, must not be attached to the 
collecting of specimens. That is, mere collecting, though useful 
in itself, is of very little real value so far as Nature-study is 
concerned, unless the specimens themselves be questioned and 
understood. In other words, the specimens must be examined, 
must be compared and contrasted with other forms, and have their 
relationship to these established. In addition to a museum, a 
garden and an aquariuin should, where possible, form part of the 
equipment of every school. 
Nature- “study should not be confined to ae school-room— 
indeed, if it is to prove the success its advocates hope for, it must 
lead to work being done in the field. This part of the subject, in 
numbers of schools, presents grave difficulties, which, in many 
cases, can only be partly overcome. Schools in the larger centres 
have but few opportunities for field-work, and smaller schools— 
even those within reach of plants or minerals—are constantly 
faced with the difficulty of finding time for work of the kind. 
Still, much can be done under the stimulus of enthusiasm and 
energy. Excursions undertaken with some definite object are of | 
very great importance, tending, as they must, to invest the 
subject with greater interest and reality. If these become 
impossible, attention should constantly be directed to objects of 
interest in the neighbourhood, where pupils may be encouraged to 
apply beyond the school walls the experience gained daring the 
lessons. 
