450 



TEE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTELY.— SUPPLEMENT. 



ble ; but it none the less throws a great respon- 

 sibility on those who possess this popularity if 

 they mislead public opinion by inaccuracy or 

 suppression of facts. 



In his article on " Fallacies of Testimony " 

 Dr. Carpenter, quoting Schiller, says that the 

 " real philosopher " is distinguished from the 



" trader in knowledge " by his always loving 

 truth better than his system. If our readers 

 will carefully weigh the facts now laid before 

 them, they will be able to decide how far Dr. 

 Carpenter himself belongs to the first or to the 

 second of these categories. — Quarterly Journal 

 of Science. 



A STUDY OF LOWER LIFE. 



AS has well been observed, the phrase omne 

 ignotum pro magnifico is not more appro- 

 priate or true than its reverse or opposite. And 

 it constitutes one of the greatest advantages of 

 natural history study, that it directs our atten- 

 tion to new and curious features in the common- 

 est living forms around us, and, by aiding both 

 our mental and physical perceptions, largely ex- 

 tends the range of the most commonplace obser- 

 vation. The "sight " of the natural historian is, 

 in fact, any thing but " unassisted ; " but, on the 



" In the event of any arrangement being agreed upon, 

 Slado would prefer that the matter should be kept strictly 

 private. 



"As he never can guarantee results, you sha'l give 

 him as many as six trials, and more if it shall be deemed 

 advisable. 



" And you shall be put to no charge or expense what- 

 ever. 



"You on your part shall undertake that during the 

 period of the sittings, and for one week afterward, you 

 will neither take, nor cause to be taken, nor countenance, 

 legal proceedings against him or me. 



"That if in the end you are satisfied that the slate- 

 writing is produced otherwise than by trickery, you shall 

 abstain altogether from further proceedings against us, 

 and suffer us to remain in England, if we choose to do so, 

 mnmolested by you. 



" If, on the other hand, you are not satisfied, you shall 

 be at liberty to proceed against us, after the expiration of 

 one week from the conclusion of the six or more experi- 

 ments, if we are still in England. You will observe that 

 Blade is willing to go to you without witnesses of his own, 

 and to trust entirely to your honor and good faith. 



" Conscious of his own innocence, he has no malice 

 against you for the past. He believes that you were very 

 naturally deceived by appearances, which, to one who had 

 not previously verified the phenomena under more satis- 

 factory conditions, may well have seemed suspicious. 



"Should we not hear from you within ten days from 

 this date, Slade will conclude that you have declined his 

 offer. 



" I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant. 



"J. Simmons. 



"37 Spui-straat, The Hague, May 7, 1877." 



contrary, discerns beauty and grace where vision 

 of the latter description could perceive nothing 

 worthy of attention or study. If Pope's dictum 

 that " the proper study of mankind is man," be 

 accepted as literally true, and as tending to limit 

 human observation to the investigation of its own 

 peculiarities, the zoologist may fitly remind the 

 poet that the study of lower forms not only 

 assists our appreciation of human affairs, but 

 sometimes actually explains and elucidates points 

 in man's history which otherwise would remain 

 utterly obscure. Thus the spirit of a liberal 

 science is most decided in its opposition to any 

 exclusiveness in the objects submitted to its 

 scrutiny; since, recognizing the independence of 

 the various branches of knowledge, we learn that 

 the advance of one study really means the im- 

 provement of all. 



No better illustration of the manner in which 

 a simple study in biology may be made to form a 

 text for the illustration of some facts and points 

 interesting to the world at large can well be 

 selected, than that comprised in the life-history 

 of the little animal known as the Hydra, or 

 "common fresh -water polyp." The examina- 

 tion of this common denizen of our pools and 

 ditches may convince the skeptical that the issues 

 of scientific study are not only varied and inter- 

 esting, but that they also sometimes lead us to 

 contemplate phases of life and growth not very far 

 removed from some of the most important prob- 

 lems which can well occupy the consideration of 

 the human mind. 



The hydra "of the zoologist by no means re- 

 calls to mind, as regards its form at any rate, the 

 famous being of mythological lore ; although, as 

 will hereafter be noted, in certain of its features, 

 the modern hydra may fitly bear comparison with 

 its mythical namesake. If we take some water 



