The Scottish Naturalist. 63 



tific Learning. It is not enough that every effort should be 

 made towards such an end by the training up of ardent and ac- 

 complished young Naturalists, who are necessarily destined to 

 scatter themselves throughout the world, and who will thus dis- 

 seminate the results — whatever these may be — of their own 

 accomplishments. It is highly desirable that the Professor him- 

 self should add directly to scientific progress by the results of origi- 

 nal research. If he is not — he ought to be — in a position most 

 favourable for the production of original work — the conditions 

 for which are, according to Prof. Seeley — " Leisure : special 

 ability^ a limited field : and rewards in reputation and money, 

 proportionate to exertion," (p. 188.) Unfortunately there is no 

 Public opinion in this country demanding original research in 

 our Professors : while in every other country in Europe it is 

 deemed necessary " to encourage thought and study by special 

 arrangements," (p. 190.) Again comparing ourselves with 

 Germany, it has to be confessed that the kind and amount of 

 original work produced by our Professors of Natural History 

 are insignificant. The " insignificance of our Universities in 

 the world of science is explained" — says Prof. Seeley, (p. 189) — 

 " very naturally by the system pursued in them. ... It has quite 

 a different object from the advance of knowledge : and therefore 

 naturally enough does not favour the advance of knowledge" — 

 a conclusion or affirmation as startling as it is nevertheless 

 true ! It is perhaps natural to suppose that there is antagonism 

 between aptitude for original research and for teaching: that the 

 two classes of qualification are of entirely different kinds : that 

 the man who devotes himself to the one will necessarily neglect 

 the other. And to a certain extent this is true. But, that it is 

 not altogether true appears from the evidence again of Prof. 

 Seeley, who assures us that " Where the spirit of original in- 

 quiry is most active among the teachers, there the teaching is 

 best : and on the other hand, that where it is languid or dor- 

 mant, the teacher, however assiduous or conscientious, is de- 

 graded in character, and that such a University tends to become 

 a mere school." (p. 190.) § 



§ Regarding the subject from a very different stand-point, a reviewer in 

 " Nature," Tfor February 2, 1871, p. 263,] expresses his opinion, that in every 

 Science ' ' the widest Culture brings about the most telling and effective Teaching." 



