l86 NATURAL SCIENCE. March. 



while the Society for the Promotion of Commerce and Industry 

 and the Agricultural Society are equally influential. 



In addition to the publications of the scientific societies there is 

 the To-yo-gak-ge-zasshi, which literally means the East Ocean Science 

 Art Journal. This was started about 1880, is published at Tokio, 

 and the yearly subscription is one yen, at present about two shillings 

 and sixpence in our money. It is conducted chiefly by University 

 people, and serves to relate the excursions of the students and other 

 details of local interest. It also contains articles by the Professors, 

 and reports of the monthly lectures which they deliver to the general 

 public. 



In describing the scientific course at the University, allusion has 

 already been made to the science teaching in the public schools. In 

 the Primary Schools, science is taught by means of object-lessons 

 and talks. In the Middle Schools, which include boys from 14 to 18 

 years of age, science is taught in all its branches, and such a school 

 is required to have a set of chemical and physical apparatus. Each 

 Middle School has two or three masters who divide between them 

 kindred branches of science. Science is compulsory in these and 

 also in the Higher Middle Schools ; but in his second year's 

 attendance at the latter the student confines himself more to his 

 own special subjects. These schools have better laboratories and 

 more science masters, who are thus enabled to devote themselves to 

 more special branches. All science teachers are either graduates of 

 the University or licensed after examination by the Educational 

 Department. 



There is of course a large amount of scientific instruction given 

 at the Engineering College in Tokio and the Agricultural Colleges in- 

 Tokio and Sapporo, of which the latter was the first founded. 

 These, however, need not detain us now. One may also occasion- 

 ally come across something of scientific value in the local museums,, 

 as at Osaka and Gifu ; but their chief intention is to assist commerce 

 and to promote the industries of the country. On the whole, the 

 scientific movement in Japan is concentrated at the capital, and 

 must be studied in connection with those institutions that I have 

 endeavoured to describe in the preceding pages. 



III.— FUTURE. 



Let not this heading lead anyone to suppose that I am about to 

 assume the prophet's mantle. Zadkiel and the Reverend Samuel 

 Baxter may rest unrivalled. All I intend is to consider the facts 

 already mentioned, as well as certain others that have not yet come 

 within our view, and to suggest from them a few inferences as to the 

 probable development of natural science in Japan, and the relations- 

 of that science to the world at large. 



