The Scottish Naturalist. 5 



History for nearly twenty years, — inquiring into their duties 

 and emoluments, on the one hand, and the qualifications of 

 their occupants, on the other, — in a considerable number of 

 Universities, not only in the three kingdoms, but in our Colo- 

 nies, (such as Australia, New Zealand, and Canada), and 

 in many continental countries, (such as Norway, France, Prussia, 

 Switzerland, Austria, and Italy.) My general conclusions, so far 

 as concerns Great Britain and Ireland, are these — inter alia : that 



I. Whereas the Qualifications of a Professor of Natural Science 

 shonld consist in, — 



Essential. 



Accessory. 



1. Knowledge of the subject to be taught. 



2. Ability to teach a given subject or subjects. 



3. Ability to enforce discipline, and command 

 respect, among students. 



f 4. Distinction as an author. 

 J 5. Popularity both as speaker and writer. 

 1 6. The power of pictorial illustration, and of de- 

 monstrational manipulation. 



II. The real grounds of appointment, or, at least, causes of suc- 



cess, are too freque?itly the utterly irrelevant matters 

 of- 



1. Political influence. 



2. Church influence : religious belief : denominational 



intrigue. 



3. Personal influence : partizanship : party rivalry and 



struggle for power. 



III. Reform is desirable, or necessary, in the following direc- 



tions, — 



a. — As regards the Professors-elect, — 



1. The possession of the necessary qualifications. 

 b. — As regards their Chairs, — 



2. Classification or subdivision of subjects. 



3. Proper endowments and status. 



4. Provision of class properties (apparatus : diagrams : 



specimens.) 



5. Provision of the necessary adjuncts and adjuvants of — 



