126 



To revert to the occasion that had brought them together, he felt that the 

 effect of Clubs like these was not merely a pleasurable acquaintance with 

 external nature, but of importance in giving a zest to investigation, and by 

 friendly councU together removing the difficulties that frequently arose. The 

 invitation to members of other clubs too was a most desirable thing, which he 

 trusted would be followed in other places ; for not only did it give an opportunity 

 of forming friendships, but it warmed the mind with emulation, and raised an 

 enthusiasm, without which every pmsuit became in time flat and unprofitable. 



In the present day it must be admitted that the cultivators of natural history 

 were rather different from their predecessors, who a couple of centuries ago were 

 mostly lean apothecaries with great buckled shoes, whose ideas scarcely pene- 

 trated farther than the stuffed alligator or cockatrice's egg which dangled from 

 their ceilings ; while the pretty stones on their shelves, which they called " petri- 

 factions," had nothing to do in their estimation with the organic life that had 

 been, but the shells and fossils contained in the rocks they considered to be mere 

 '■ sports of nature," made in a playful or experimental mood during her apprentice- 

 ship, in accordance with the fanciful idea of Burns : — 



" On man she tried her 'prentice hand, 

 And then she made the lasses, O." 



(Laughter). Even in the time of Charles II., just before the Institution of the 

 Royal Society, we should have a mean estimation of the pursuits of philosophers 

 if we judged them from what Butler alleges in " Hudibras," that instead of 

 classifying great rock formations they employed themselves in considering 



" What figured slates are best to make 

 On watery surface duck and drake." 



And the same author represents their studies as being merely notices of wonder 

 to gape at — 



" Of men that walked when they were dead, 

 And cows of monsters brought to bed ; 



Of hailstones, big as pullet's eggs. 



And puppies whelped with twice four legs." 



Surely in the present day our observations have got to a point in advance of this. 

 Formerly theory and speculation were advanced in the most ridiculous manner 

 without any sufficient data, and humble imtiring but invaluable observation 

 was comparatively neglected. Even in the times of the Grecian philosophers, 

 to whom we were accustomed to look up with such respect, the mere fancies of sages 

 were held to be true, and materially retarded the advance of knowledge. Plato 

 considered aU our knowledge as derived from the mere recollection of what we 

 had known in a former state, and Socrates advocated the same thing. But such 

 nonsensical dreams had only the effect of restricting and impeding the advance 

 of observation. But in the present age of observation and research, none of these 

 deceptive corks were allowed to buoy us up on the service of the broad river 



