LECTURE TO CHILDREN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 85, 30 March 1908, Page 4

LECTURE TO CHILDREN.

On last Thursday and Friday afternoons there were large attendances of the children in the Fitzroy school to listen to Mr. Gilchrist, who'is on a tour of the schools of tho Dominion, who lectured on "The Animal Kingdom*' and "A Trip Hound tile World." The lectures were illustrated by a powerful limelight lantern cinematograph. The tirst lecture was opened by a clear statement of the main divisions of the animal kingdom. Over 100 pictures not only marked these divisious but illustrated imitaj tiom in nature as shown in the markings, colors and shapes of animals. it was pointed out in dealing with the cat ! group that the young lion cubs have j stripoa on their bodies, ami that this l aeemed to point to :i time when the lions lived in the «uue surroundings as the tigers live to-day, the stripes harmonising with the broad blades of grass in the jungle. The children were told that animals were not always of the samu shape as seen to-day. Pictures of the fossil remaius of ancestors of the horse showed these possessed live toes, and were no bigger than a fox in size. Pictures of extinct animals were also shown; some of recent date, like the quagga of Africa. But the most interesting part of tlio whole lecture accompanied the use of a miscroscopic attachment. By means of this specimen* of living blight from cabbages and apple trees were magnified to the size of «parrows. The jaws of a spider, the tongue and sting of a bee appeared very large, and lent therefore to simple explanationAt the close of the lecture a number of Louis Wain'e clover sketches of cats and dogs caused much laughter amongst the children. The second lecture, "A Trip Round the Word," is a lesson in political geography. The trip set out from Port Chalmers and visited every capital in the world. The people of strange, lands were seen in their daily life. Generalisation on the size of countries, their populations, their history, government, etc., were supplied by the lecturer. At the conclusion of the lecture a number of amusing moving pictures were shown. Altogether these lectures with their illustrations, constitute good healthy educational matter. The headmasters of many schools in tine Dominion spenk well of them. With the approval of the Inspector, the headmasters, and the committees, Mr. Gilchirst will lecture next week to tho children in the New Plvmouth schools.