168 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



High School, and Western Academy, special science teachers- 

 exist ; but the number is small, though the examples are striking, 

 where a teacher has quaUfied himself to give accurate lessons in 

 geology or biology. To remedy this state of things, a splendid 

 scheme had been organised and carried out at South Kensington, 

 with brilliant success: a scheme of teaching teachers, not cramming 

 them, but forcing them to learn "off their own bat." Every 

 lesson by Professor Huxley, in the use of the microscope, or the 

 dissection of some plant or animal, was repeated by each person 

 at a later hour of the day, under the care and with the assistance 

 of gentlemen admirably qualified for the task. Such a scheme 

 would necessarily involve a considerable expenditure from the 

 public purse. But great as might be its success in London, it& 

 benefits would be practically nil to the great body of Scottish 

 teachers. To multiply rapidly the class of qualified science 

 teachers would require the estabhshment of similar schools in 

 Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen. How the expense is to be 

 met is another consideration ; but the grand fact is, that till such 

 courses are established, no general cultivation of science in our 

 schools can be looked for. Supposing, however, that the expense 

 difficulty were met, there still remains a serious difficulty, at least 

 in the cases of Glasgow and Aberdeen. In Edinburgh the teach- 

 ing of geology and zoology had been entrusted to separate teachers^ 

 In the other Universities the absurd union of the two subjects 

 persisted, a combination which savoured rather of medieval 

 omniscience, that is, ignorance, than of the notions of the nine- 

 teenth century. The number of those qualified by special 

 knowledge, or the possession of sufficient leisure to undertake 

 the courses spoken of, is necessarily small; but at present the 

 Professors of Natural History in Aberdeen and Glasgow would be 

 justified in refusing to undertake the additional duty, so long as 

 they were compelled to discharge two incongTuous, in some 

 respects incompatible, offices. Dr Young related to the Society 

 the effort he had made to enlist public opinion in favour of the 

 division of the Natural History Chair, after the example set in 

 Edinburgh, and concluded by asking the support of the Natural 

 History Society in the endeavour to bring about this result. 



The following resolution was proposed by Mr John Alexander, 

 and unanimously adopted: — "The Natural History Society of 

 Glasgow desires to draw the attention of the Senatus and General 



