256 ^ NATURAL SCIENCE. April, 1894. 



lent a case for the establishment of some kind of guidance, that we 

 hope he will succeed, through the medium of Science Gossip, in 

 arousing the necessary attention of authorities. 



The Darwin Memorial. 



Last month we commented on the praiseworthy efforts of 

 Shrewsbury to do honour to Charles Darwin, perhaps the greatest 

 name associated with that beautiful city. Apparently dogmatic folly 

 is still raising its bray against science. A correspondent writes 

 to us : — 



"A prophet has lifted up his voice against the iniquity of the 

 people of Shrewsbury in venturing to propose a memorial to Darwin 

 in his native town. A sign has been sent from heaven, and the spire 

 of St. Mary's Church has been blown down. The righteous then are 

 punished for the sins of the ungodly. The punishment would have 

 been more ad rem had it fallen on the Shrewsbury Museum or the 

 mayor's house ; but ' the wind bloweth where it listeth.' It is not for 

 wicked people like ourselves to deny the logic of the Reverend 

 N. Poyntz, but he seems to have a marvellous short memory. Are 

 we not right in saying that about a year ago some stones of this same 

 spire fell down, a fact which might have suggested even to the vicar 

 the advisability of initiating some repairs ? Really the supposition 

 most charitable to the comm.on sense, if not to the ingenuousness, of 

 Mr. Poyntz is that, knowing himself to be in the wrong, he 

 endeavours to distract attention by casting the blame on those who 

 could have had least to do with this regrettable disaster," 



