Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1886 [PAGE 169]

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161 Extensive changes have been made in the zoological course, and large additions to its equipment, amounting practically to a reorganization of this department; and this, also, has necessarily consumed some time. The time of the zoological assistant, besides that given to the supervision of a large part of the laboratory work of the students, as above mentioned, has been devoted principally to the preparation of specimens to illustrate the zoological course, chiefly preparations of comparative anatomy in alcohol, and microscope slides. The re-labeling, mounting and arrangement of the Museum material—of which we have undertaken a systematic revision—has also fallen chiefly to his share. On account of the extensive changes made in the Natural History Department, a brief report of its present condition will perhaps be enpected. The Sophomore zoology has been changed from a one-hour to a two-hour study. It includes at present a considerable amount of laboratory work in comparative anatomy and systematic zoology, in comparative histology and in embryology, supplemented by lectures, demonstrations, and a study of text. The individual work of the student, always supervised and directed either by myself or by my assistant, in person, or else guided by carefully prepared directions in "'blue-print" supplied to the students, furnishes the foundation throughout upon which the superstructure of secondary knowledge is raised by lectures and by study of text. Besides a practical acquaintance with types and with the general characters of the principal animal groups thus acquired, the students are expected to become reasonably proficient in dissection, drawing, description, in determination of species, in the methods of histological study, and in practical embryology. They have also an opportunity to acquire a knowledge of field methods of work in zoology, both terrestrial and aquatic, and to learn the methods of the permanent preparation of specimens for zoological cabinets. In arranging the short course in zoology, I have assumed that this should be designed to impart a "knowledge of the. leading general features and results of zoological science so far as this is attainable by elementary students, and that this class should be so far introduced to methods of zoological work and study as to enable them to become intelligent, if so disposed, with respect to the animal forms about them. Some analytical and anatomical work has consequently been required of these students, especially in ornithology, on which, in fact, about one-third of the time has been spent. Otherwise this course has consisted of lectures, demonstrations, and study of text. The entomological course has been little changed since I took charge of it, varying only towards a practical acquaintance with a larger number of economic species and their life histories, at the possible sacrifice of some of the knowledge of general entomology which was formerly given. Ind—11