Power of Observation.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 31 December 1891, Page 3

Power of Observation.

— • — j A certain amount of latitude is (says the Argus) given to State school inspectors in drawing up their annnal reports to the Secretary of the Education Department, and in some oases advantage is taken to relieve them from the dull monotony of ordinary official reports. Under the heading of " Object Lessons " thfi following appears in one of the reoprts: — "The cultivation of a chip's powers of observation is ajhfeays attended by happy results. I Save often laughed over the object lesson on the powers of observation given by a Scotch chemical demonstrator to a class of young men whom he had occasionally to find fault with on this score. The various liquids that had been lectured upon during the morning were mixed in a vessel, and formed collectively a vile compound. Then to test their faith in the genuineness of his chemicals (as he put it) the demonstrator obtained from the students a promise to watch him • closely, and do what he did. He \ then put his finger into the mess and

conveyed it to his mouth. The ' nauseous dose wan pissed round and duly tasfed by alt the pupils, who xvete nearly choked by it. "When the excitement had cooled down somewhat 'he lecturer gravply remarlret, ' Noo, gentlemen, had ye used your powers o' observation, ye would perhaps have seen that the finger I put in the gallipot was not the one I put in ma month.' "