1 2 The Scottish Naturalist. 



There is another sphere of action upon which, it may be 

 submitted, Natural History societies are called at the present 

 time to enter. I allude to the opportunity they have, in the 

 absence of such a course of training in our schools, of imparting 

 a modicum of instruction in Natural History to what we term 

 "the young and rising generation." The gospel of Scientific 

 Education for many years has not lacked able and zealous 

 preachers, but as yet has been received the reverse of gladly. 

 We are all satisfied of the grand truth of Bacon's words, — 

 u Knowledge and power go hand in hand,"* but with singular 

 selfishness people greedily seize every discovery in science 

 which is useful to them, which they can turn into money, but 

 are very loath to render assistance, pecuniary or otherwise, to 

 the cause of scientific investigation. 



How very many have we known who could, and do, heartily 

 echo Carlyle's words, when he says, " For many years it has 

 been one of my constant regrets, that no schoolmaster of mine 

 had a knowledge of natural history, so far, at least, as to have 

 taught me the grasses that grow by the wayside, and the little 

 winged and wingless neighbours that are continually meeting me 

 with a salutation which I cannot answer, — as things are." 



Until that time comes which he loves to prophecy of, when 

 every schoolmaster in Britain will be required to possess the 

 power of teaching his youthful charges something of zoology 

 and botany, it is a duty imposed by the very fact of its exist- 

 ence, upon a society of naturalists to strive to cultivate and 

 foster in the young the love of a study of nature. 



We have now to consider for a little, in detail, the actual pro- 

 ceedings of a local society, which may be summed up under 

 three heads: — its published transactions (the main results of its 

 meetings); its excursions; and its collections. 



The Papers read at the meetings will consist, for the most 

 part, of contributions to the knowledge of the species existing 

 in the society's district. A proportion will be devoted to instruc- 

 tions and directions to beginners, and a few will be on subjects 

 of more than local interest, and of general scientific value. 



The excursions made by the several sections, independently 

 of each other, are those best calculated to produce satisfactory 

 results, and cannot occur too frequently during the summer 

 * Scientia et potentia humana in idem coincidunt.— Nov. Org. I. 



