The Scottish Naturalist. 69 



Naturalist : and without this very important quality, it is impos- 

 sible to convert students into zealous naturalists ; the Professor 

 lectures on Botany, Zoology, or other "ology," in a perfunctory 

 way, while his heart is perhaps far away with some other science, 

 or with some occupation or recreation that is not science at 

 all, and has no connection therewith. So far from being patient 

 with the backward or slow, devoting himself to catechetical, or 

 tutorial, teaching, he contents himself with reading his manu- 

 script notes, and with thereby conducting his class through what 

 he complacently calls a " Systematic Course of Lectures " on 

 his speciality. So far from his work being thorough in teaching 

 observation, manipulation, generalisation, description, classifica- 

 tion, and the other accomplishments which go to make up the 

 true Naturalist, he succeeds in developing none of these apti- 

 tudes : but communicates only a series of facts and theories in 

 Natural History, the importance of which the student fails to 

 perceive, and the knowledge of which is dearly purchased by the 

 sacrifice of much valuable time and money. 



There are yet certain other qualifications, which it is desirable, 

 though not so essential, that a Professor of Natural Science 

 should possess. For instance, the poiuer of pictorial representa- 

 tion is, at least, a very great advantage — a most important 

 accomplishment. He who cannot extemporise chalk figures on 

 the black-board, or execute with his own fingers coloured draw- 

 ings, both on the large and small scale, must depend entirely 

 on the aid of professional artists, who are not generally Natura- 

 lists/' 5 ' and who neverV^/* represent natural objects so accurately 

 as the observer skilled in, from being accustomed to, their ex- 

 amination. Moreover, in such a case, where liberal money 

 grants are not available for class "properties," the Professor's 

 gallery of illustrations is likely to be lamentably meagre and 

 old-fashioned. I have seen some of our University diagrams 

 that looked as if they had been ante-diluvian, so utterly were 

 they behind the age — unworthy of exhibition even in an infant 



* There are exceptions. Thus Mr. Walter Fitch, of Kew, and Mr. Tuffen 

 West, of London, have become — froir their great experience in drawing, from 

 the life, objects of Natural History - themselves excellent Naturalists, — men 

 whose accuracy of observation, and fidelity of delineation may be thoroughly 

 trusted ; and both of them have well deserved their position as Fellows of the 

 Linnean Society of London. 



