252 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[Nov. 1, 1S66. 



including heat, light, electricity, and chemical and 

 mechanical force, into the higher forms of vital, 

 nervous, intellectual, and moral force. The fourth 

 proposition he illustrated by showing the evil effects 

 of sparse diet upon both the mind and the body, and 

 the advantages to health, intellectual and physical 

 well-being, which accrued from the application of 

 natural science. History recorded no instance in 

 which a people, permanently ignorant and destitute, 

 had proved virtuous and happy. It was the duty 

 of science to discover and invent, and that of com- 

 merce to multiply and diffuse the gifts of science 

 among mankind. The question arose, what branches 

 of natural science should be more especially taught, 

 and how? The three branches of science whose 

 immediate training and practical value were the 

 greatest, were, in his opinion, chemistry, animal 

 physiology, and social economy. On the data 

 furnished by the two latter sciences might also 

 very easily be taught or established a system of 

 moral philosophy, which would do much to implant 

 in the youthful mind an intelligent conviction that 

 a selfish, untruthful, immoral, or sensual course of 

 life, cannot, under any circumstances, prove to be 

 of real profit to the individual, or conserve his 

 ultimate happiness, however powerful or influential 

 he may become. In regard to chemistry, he urged 

 that the proper way to teach it was not by books, 

 but by introducing the chemical bodies to the notice 

 of the pupils, and causing them to ascertain by their 

 own observation, and express in their own unaided 

 language, the result of such observation. He be- 

 lieved it to be a great mistake to suppose that 

 youug children are relatively deficient in reasoning 

 power. The flood of questions with which they 

 meet every new circumstance or phenomenon 

 which is brought before their notice, should be 

 sufficient to dispose of this error. — Joura. Soc. Arts. 



With a moderate power, or the usual hand- 

 magnifier, the regular fan-shaped fronds can be 

 easily made out, more particularly on account of 

 then - deep amber colour. 



LICMOPHOB.A ELABELLATA. 



rpHIS— to my mind the most beautiful of, at all 

 -*~ events, the British Diatoms— seems rather 

 local in its habitat, though in some works I see it 

 mentioned as generally found along our coasts. My 

 own experience, however, does not confirm this. 



During the year 1S63 I was fortunate in finding 

 (through the kindness of a friend who informed me 

 of its whereabouts) a very fine gathering; but 

 during 1864-5 the most careful search, during at 

 times almost the whole year, failed to secure me any. 



This year it seems rather abundant and extremely 

 fine, but entirely local, by which 1 mean confined to 

 certain pools ; though, during 1863, 1 found traces of 

 it on various parts of this coast, within half a mile of 

 the principal pools. Seen from the surface of the 

 water, it resembles a quantity of golden wool, which, 

 on being placed in a bottle, glistens like spun glass. 



Fig. 240. Licmnj/hora flabelluta. 



Unfortunately, there seems a degree of uncertainty 

 attending the permanency of mounted specimens, 



Fig. 241. Fan of Licmophora. 



which I suppose accounts for the scarcity of slides 



