i897. NOTES AND COMMENTS. 293 



educating not one only, but all the mental faculties. Let the classics 

 hold premier place by all means, but at least give the other subjects a 

 fair representation, and let them be so put before the pupils as to form 

 a true means of education, and not merely as vehicles of gentlemanly 

 information. We consider that every boy should, for his first two 

 years at a public school, be taught science for at least six hours a 

 week, and that fully half of this time should be assigned to practical 

 work. But most important is it that the science classes should be 

 arranged strictly and solely according to merit in science : a rational 

 course of scientific education is almost impossible on any other basis. 

 At the end of two years it is not unreasonable to suppose that a boy 

 will be desirous of devoting his attention more fully to some one 

 subject, but we should like to see all subjects still included in his 

 time-table up to the end of his school career. Just as it is undesirable 

 that a boy should give up all classics for science, so, too, it is most 

 undesirable that the converse should maintain. It is a common 

 complaint among teachers of science that their efforts are hampered 

 by the necessity of confining the work to the syllabus of an examina- 

 tion. This drawback does not exist for the majority of boys at Public 

 Schools, and therefore in these there is an opportunity, such as is 

 denied to many institutions, of teaching science in an educationally 

 scientific manner. 



We urgently appeal to the Royal Society to bestir itself in this 

 matter. The governing bodies of most of our great schools contain a 

 member nominated by the Royal Society. Such nominees presumably 

 realise the educational value of the natural sciences, and to their 

 keeping has been committed a national trust of no small value. We 

 look to them for an active interference with the present state of affairs, 

 in fulfilment of their heavy responsibility. 



Young Oxford and Science. 



The first volume of the Robert Boyle lectures, delivered before 

 the Oxford University Junior Scientific Club, 1892-96, is now issued. 

 It contains the lectures by Sir Henry Acland, Lord Kelvin, Professor 

 A. Macalister, Professor A. Crum Brown, and Professor W. Ramsay, 

 to several of which we have already drawn attention. To it Sir 

 Henry Acland has contributed a preface which concludes with the 

 following interesting remark: "...Natural Science, pursued in the 

 temper of Robert Boyle, has led, does lead, and will lead the young of 

 Oxford to a love of truth for truth's sake, as was foreseen (it may 

 surprise some to learn) fifty years ago by Dr. Pusey, without whose 

 support and that of his friends the final vote would have been lost for 

 founding the Oxford University Museum." 



The Robert Boyle lecture this year is to be delivered by Captain 

 W. de W. Abney. ^ 



