OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 393 



stupid indifference, or overweening self-confidence, from bound- 

 less scepticism and unlimited credulity in every portion of the 

 domain of human knowledge. I am almost ashamed to repeat 

 the trite remark that those sciences which are capable of mathe- 

 matical demonstration or direct experimental proof, leaving as 

 they do no room in their propositions for doubt or contradiction, 

 fail to develope the judicial faculty of the intellect, while the higher 

 or more abstruse questions of philosophy, theological, moral, or 

 metaphysical, are so far beyond the reach of ordinary understand- 

 ings, that their very difficulty causes them to be handled with 

 the perilous audacity of the ignorant. The study of natural 

 science, therefore, standing by virtue of its subject and its method 

 midway between these two extremes, seems especially indicated 

 as the remedy for these intellectual diseases. And, in order to 

 obtain its continuous exercise, we must begin with the young, 

 whose curiosity is lively, eyesight keen, and memory tenacious, 

 and whose zest in the contemplation of the wonders of creation has 

 not been dulled by years of alienation from all mental exertion 

 which does not promise a tangible reward. And that such 

 training may be as wide as the evil which it is especially calcu- 

 lated to counteract, we must lay its foundation in the common 

 or primary schools of the country. It must not be confined to 

 any class or portion of the community, but be freely open to all. 

 The poor are as capable of this study as the wealthy. A host 

 of examples might even be alleged to prove them more so. 



Many attempts have been made, with more good will than 

 success, to introduce Natural History as a staple subject in many 

 of the higher English schools. The causes of this failure, though 

 well worthy of consideration, are for the most part outside our 

 present inquiry, which is to determine the method by which 

 Natural History may be made an integral portion of the general 

 training of the young. One cause, however, is the same every- 

 where, and must not be overlooked. It is rare to find among 

 teachers, however skilful in other respects, an intimate acquaintance 

 with natural science; while the persons duly qualified by knowledge 

 have seldom the patience or the practice requisite for effectual 



