212 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



complex subject or thing. I was taught Euclid by a private tutor, and 

 I distinctly remember the intense satisfaction which the clear geomet- 

 rical proofs gave me. I remember, with equal distinctness, the delight 

 which my uncle gave me (the father of Francis Galton) by explaining 

 the principle of the vernier of a barometer. With respect to diversi- 

 fied tastes, independently of science, I was fond of reading various 

 books, and I used to sit for hours reading the historical plays of 

 Shakespeare, generally in an old window in the thick walls of the 

 school. I read also other poetry, such as Thomson's "Seasons," and 

 the recently published poems of Byron and Scott. I mention this 

 because later in life I wholly lost, to my great regret, all pleasure 

 from poetry of any kind, including Shakespeare. In connection with 

 pleasure from poetry, I may add that in 1822 a vivid delight in 

 scenery was first awakened in my mind, during a riding tour on the 

 borders of Wales, and this has lasted longer than any other {esthetic 

 pleasure. 



Early in my school-days a boy had a copy of the " Wonders of the 

 World," which I often read, and disputed with other boys about the 

 veracity of some of the statements ; and 1 believe that this book first 

 gave me a wish to travel in remote countries, which was ultimately 

 fulfilled by the voyage of the Beagle. In the latter part of my school- 

 life I became passionately fond of shooting ; I do not believe that 

 any one could have shown more zeal for the most holy cause than I 

 did for shooting birds. How well I remember killing my first snipe, 

 and my excitement was so great that I had much difiiculty in reload- 

 ing my gun from the trembling of my hands ! This taste long con- 

 tinued, and I became a very good shot. When at Cambridge, I used 

 to practice throwing up my gun to my shoulder before a looking-glass, 

 to see that I threw it up straight. Another and better plan was to 

 get a friend to wave about a lighted candle, and then to fire at it with 

 a cap on the nipple^ and if the aim was accurate the little pufi^ of air 

 would blow out the candle. The explosion of the cap caused a sharp 

 crack, and I was told that the tutor of the college remarked, " What 

 an extraordinary thing it is, Mr. Darwin seems to spend hours in 

 cracking a horse-whip in his room, for I often hear the crack when I 

 pass under his windows ! " 



I had many friends among the school-boys whom I loved dearly, 

 and I think that my disposition w^as then very affectionate. 



With respect to science, I continued collecting minerals with much 

 zeal, but quite unscientifically — all that I cared about was a new- 

 naraed mineral, and I hardly attempted to classify them. I must have 

 observed insects with some little care, for when, ten years old (1819), 

 I went for three weeks to Plas Edwards on the sea-coast in Wales, I 

 was very much interested and surprised at seeing a large black and 

 scarlet hemipterous insect, many moths {Zrjga'na), and a cicindela, 

 which are not found in Shropshire. I almost made up my mind to be- 



