THE ROLE OF SCIENCE 51

is most ‘receptive. “ General science” should continue
throughout a boy’s career at school, not only for its
intrinsic value but also for the valuable training afforded
in habits of observation, accurate deduction, forecast,
classification, and organization. The development of
scientific method would be an advantage in every
direction.
During the years that a boy is at a preparatory school
the “collecting mania” is exhibited in its most violent
form. This tendency might be employed to very great
advantage, and should be diverted from useless to useful
purposes. Moths, beetles, flowers, grasses, minerals, etc.,
all lend themselves for this purpose, and habits of observation
 and classification are thus acquired. Appreciation
 of the beautiful comes quite naturally, and this in
itself is an aid to the formation of character.
Without attempting to compile a syllabus, the following
headings may serve to indicate the nature of work which
is possible at the preparatory school :—
I. Very elementary astronomy, movements of the
celestial bodies, shadows, eclipses, the seasons, cause of
night and day, etc.
[Taught by direct observation and by simple models. ]
2. Tides, differences in fresh and mineral waters
leading up to ideas on buoyancy and density.
3. Trees, flowers and fruits. Study of growth, cause
of growth, effect of external conditions on life and health
of plants.
4. Bird life and habits, Ants, bees, wasps, butterflies,
and moths. Marine life: fishes and whales.
5. Causes of simple natural phenomena, sich as clouds,
thunder, lightning, mists, rain, dew, hail, snow, etc,
Much of this can be illustrated by simple experiments,
many of which can be carried out by the boys themselves.

6, Development of the mechanical faculty. The