Cahes and Cabe Deposits. 
BY T. McKENNY HUGHES, M.A., F.R.S., 
WoopwarDIAN PROFESSOR OF GEOLOGY, CAMBRIDGE. 
Read October 18th, 1886. 
‘a any one were to tell us that in an old house which had 
been a place of some note many centuries ago there had 
just been discovered a cupboard which was locked up and con- 
cealed by a mass of fallen masonry—that it was in one of the 
principal rooms of the house, and would very likely contain all 
sorts of queer things which were used by the people who 
inhabited the house, I think there are very few of us who would 
not try to run over when they forced the cupboard open and 
see for ourselves what was there. There is a positive pleasure 
to be derived from what is called ‘satisfying one’s curiosity,” 
but then we mean “ gratifying one’s love of knowledge.” Love 
of knowledge we allow is a good thing—a feeling to be cul- 
tivated—without holding that the knowledge must produce 
some practical beneficial results. Curiosity, on the other hand, 
is held to be a habit of mind not to be indulged, though no use 
may be made of the information gained to the detriment of any 
one else. What, then, is the difference between the bad 
feeling which we include under the head of ‘ curiosity,” and 
the good feeling which we call “love of knowledge ?” Is it 
that curiosity is love of knowledge of things that don’t concern 
us? Not quite. For what we all recognize as a justifiable 
love of knowledge leads men often to inquire into abstruse or 
strange questions, the immediate bearing of which on anything 
else is not apparent. They do not yet know whether it con- 
cerns them or not. Curiosity, in a bad sense, is the selfish 
prying into secrets which it would give pain to another that we 
should know. But that is very different from the enquiring turn 
of mind which leads us to be interested in new facts, and in 
finding out the reason why for everything. I have very little 
sympathy with those who say to children, “ don’t be inquisitive, 
don’t be curious.” Curiosity or inquisitiveness are in them- 
selves right, and only become wrong when indulged without 
consideration for the feelings of others. The habits of observa- 
