1870.] DAWSON — ON SCIENCE EDUCATION ABROAD. 





things wliich I saw in the physiological laboratory, were excellent 

 dissections of nioUusks and worms made by students as a part of 

 their examinations in the honour course of Natural Science. 



Thoui>'h the museum contains rooms for experimental physics, 

 the University has greatly enlarged its means of instruction in 

 this department, by the erection in the vicinity of the museum of 

 a physical laboratory, which I believe will cost about £40,000, 

 and which, in the perfection and completeness of its arrangements, 

 will surpass all similar workshops of science, not only in England, 

 but in the world. Prof. Clifton, who himself showed me the 

 building, and explained its plan, has endeavoured to make this 

 laboratory in itself a model of practical science, considered as the 

 art of doing everything in the best way, by applying in the most 

 perfect manner every known improvement and many original 

 inventions of his own, to secure convenience and accuracy of 

 working. The building has a central hall for apparatus, and for 

 certain experiments requirino; large space ; a class-room, which is 

 a model of acoustic perfection and mechanical arrangement; and 

 a number cf work-rooms, in which all the most delicate kinds of 

 operations in weighing and measuring can be carried on with the 

 best apparatus and with every precaution against error. This 

 laboratory was to be opened in the present autumn, and I was 

 informed by Prof. Clifton that he expected to begin with about 

 thirty practical students. The object of the laboratory is two- 

 fold — (1) to train observers and experimenters more thoroughly 

 than heretofore; (2) to undertake original physical researches 

 with more perfect appliances than those now available. 



The Oxford new Museum, with the neighbouring Physical 

 Laboratory, thus constitutes in itself a great educational institu- 

 tion in physical science, managed by some of the ablest instructors 

 and original investigators of the day, and providing for studies in 

 experimental physics, chemistry, mineralogy, geology, physiology, 

 and zoology, botany being otherwise provided for in connection 

 with the Botanic Garden: It has seven large class-rooms and a 

 multitude of working-rooms and laboratories, with the scientific 

 department of the Radcliffe Library. These appliances arc as 

 yet large in comparison with the number of students who use 

 them ; but the number of students is increasing, and this appar- 

 ently not at the expense of the literary courses of study. It is to 

 be observed, moreover, that the aim of the Oxford Science School 

 is high. Its object is not so much to train practical workers in 



YOL. Y. S K'o. 3. 



