Scientists and Philosophers 217 



ogy, which generally speaking has not been popular among 

 amateurs of natural history, had its champion in Dr. J. E. 

 Holbrook of Charleston, South Carolina, whose America?! 

 Herpetology is a classic to this day. 



While this list is by no means to be despised, and while 

 it would be hard to match what it has meant to the world 

 with an equal number of names of college professors, it 

 becomes infinitely more impressive if we add a few names 

 drawn from other fields. Isaac Newton was a govern- 

 ment clerk. Leeuwenhoek, the father of microscopy, was 

 a Dutch merchant. Joseph Priestley, always thought of as 

 a chemist, was in reality a parson. Sir Frederick William 

 Herschel was an organist, and an astronomer and mathe- 

 matician only on the side, so to speak. 



I have given in barest outline what Wheeler and I often 

 talked over in the Eateria, for we lunched together 1087 

 times after we began to keep the record of the Eateria Janu- 

 ary I, 1930. Of course, there are others, like Benjamin 

 Franklin, of equal fame and many more whom we spoke of 

 that I do not recall. The whole matter has lain completely 

 dormant in my mind for a number of years. Stephen Thomas 

 has made an excellent book and recalled these pleasant con- 

 versations with Wheeler. The subject is a fascinating one 

 not only in the recording of what the amateur has done in 

 the past, but in stimulating speculation of what the future 

 may bring forth. 



I wrote to my friend Henry James asking whom I should 

 thank for having sent me Mr. Thomas's book. He answered 

 giving me the information desired, and continued with an 

 observation which I think is well worthy of record. He 

 wrote: — 



