3 o SCIENCE PROGRESS 



to one or two subjects ; and there is general agreement as to 

 the subjects which are of the greatest importance. They are 

 chemistry and physics, of which some knowledge is requisite 

 for the proper study of any other science, including those 

 which are concerned with biology. It is right, therefore, that 

 any boy beginning the study of science should be taught the 

 elements of chemistry and physics ; and fortunately such teach- 

 ing is simple, and does not require any particular originality on 

 the part of the teacher, for the line of study is by now well 

 established, good text-books exist, and laboratories are easily 

 equipped in accordance with known plans. We cannot wonder, 

 therefore, that masters in schools as a whole prefer to confine 

 their pupils' attention to these studies, which entail comparatively 

 little trouble on the part of the teacher, and to avoid such subjects 

 as botany, zoology, and physical geography, where the teaching 

 depends to a considerable extent upon the nature of the sur- 

 rounding country, and where accordingly it is necessary to 

 supplement the bookwork by outdoor work, which is different 

 for various localities, necessitating a certain amount of originality 

 of observation and of thought on the part of the teacher himself. 



It may be supposed that the above remarks ignore the 

 present " boom " in " nature study " ; but this study seems to be 

 pursued largely in the elementary schools only, and to be 

 neglected in the higher schools, though true nature study is 

 one which can be pursued throughout a lifetime, for all natural 

 science is nature study, though all " nature study " is not natural 

 science. 



Agreeing as we do that an elementary knowledge of 

 chemistry and pr^sics is essential to the proper study of other 

 sciences, should schoolboys be discouraged from beginning the 

 study of these sciences, even if they have a bent towards one of 

 them ? It would seem from the action of some of our educational 

 authorities as though they desired to keep the natural sciences, 

 other than chemistry and physics, out of the school curriculum, 

 and I feel most strongly that this is harmful. 



Specialisation is the feature of the day, but it is carried 

 too far, and, above all, begun too early; for it seems to be 

 forgotten that generalisation is also important, and that the 

 highest scientific mind is one capable of generalisation as well 

 as of specialisation — in proof of which assertion mention of the 

 name of Charles Darwin is in itself sufficient. 



