In ail teaching of plants and animals to beginners, the plants themselves and the animals themselves should be made the theme, rather than any amount of definitions and of mere study in l)ooks. Books will be very useful m guiding the way, in arranging the subjects systematically, and in explaining obscure points ; but if the pupil does not know the living and growing plants when he has completed his course in botany, he has not acquired very much that is worth the while.