XVI PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



Mechanics' Institutes or Scientiiic and Literary Societies are occa- 

 sionally established, very imperfect courses of lectures are given, 

 chiefly by amateurs whose knowledge is ordinarily but slender, 

 and whose lectures are attended rather as a passing amuse- 

 ment than as a means or stimulus to the attainment of a really 

 efficient knowledge of the subject. The absence, until within a very 

 recent period, of all recognition of such departments of kno^^•ledge 

 by our educational authorities, whether in the higher or lower 

 places of education, has necessarily precluded the general exten- 

 sion of even the most elementary instruction in Natural History. 

 I took occasion, in a former Anniversary Address, to record the 

 concessions which had been wrung from the authorities of our two 

 time-honoured Universities ; and the step of granting Degrees in 

 Science, which has been recently taken by the University of London, 

 must have a most beneficial influence hereafter ; but it is as yet 

 rare to find any individual in authority, whether a clergyman or a 

 schoolmaster, who has the inclination, even if he had the time, to 

 devote his energies to this object; and the rare exceptions are 

 only sufficient to prove the rule. 



In Ireland, on the contrary, there appears to be a very widely 

 spread disposition, wherever a general education is allowed, to cul- 

 tivate Natural History as an important branch of it. I have lately 

 had my attention drawn to this subject in relation to the sister 

 kingdom, and I ^vill detain you for a few minutes in detailing 

 some of the results of my inquiries, The establishment of the 

 Queen's Colleges in Ireland, whatever may have been the objec- 

 tions to some details in their organization in the first instance, has 

 undoubtedly already been of very great service to the cause 

 of education amongst the middle and the upper middle classes of 

 the community. It is also to be remembered, that from these classes 

 must spring all the education, for good or for ill, of the masses of 

 the people. In these colleges, professors are appointed in those 

 sciences, to which we, in this Society, are professedly addicted. 



The Queen's University in Ireland requires, for the degree of 

 Bachelor of Arts, attendance, in the third year, upon lectures on 

 Zoology or Botany, and this is included amongst the subjects on 

 which the candidate must pass examinations. Either Natural 

 Science generally, or, specifically, Zoology or Botany, is insisted on 

 when the candidate goes in, either for or without honours ; and 

 also for the first-class University certificate, to such as are not 

 members of the University. Taking the Belfast College as an ex- 

 ainple,I find that in the year 1849-50 the number of students in ma- 



