432 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 
and serving also as instruments of offence and defence, gave rise to 
the necessity for immense spines and ridges for the attachment of 
the muscles ; impressing on the animal an aspect of ferocity. The 
skull of the female was more smooth, the prominences less pro- 
duced ; characteristic of the milder nature of the animal. In some 
of the lower monkeys, viewed horizontally, the bulk of the face 
concealed entirely the arch of the skull; as.the animals assumed a 
more docile disposition the vault of the skull rose gradually, until 
a forehead of considerable dimensions was perceived. The skull of 
the male was narrow above, broad and expanding at the base, and 
obtusely flattened behind ; evincing a destructive and ferocious dis- 
position, and the absence of regard for offspring. In the female, 
the arch of the skull was broad above, narrower below, and length- 
ened out behind ; displaying Jess ferocity of disposition, more cir- 
cumspection, and tenderness for offspring. 
Compared with the Chimpanzee or Asiatic* Orang at present in 
the Zoological Gardens, these skulls, although much larger in size, 
were very inferior in perfection of development to that animal. 
Mr. Sowerby then read a paper upon the “ Habits of the Plecotus 
auritus,” the Long-eared Bat, which was followed by an interesting 
discussion. The paper itself was inserted in our last Number, p. 265. 
LXXV. Intelligence and Miscelldneous Articles. 
Views on Screntiric anp Generat Epucation, applied to the pro- 
posed System of Instruction in the South African College. By Sir 
John F. W. Herschel, M.A., F.R.S., &c. 
ie is with great pleasure that we observe from the local publica- 
tions of the British Colony in Southern Africa, that in that distant 
region, as in his own country, Sir John Herschel,—while devoting his 
main attention and energy to the advancement and extension of that 
branch of Astronomy of which his revered father and himself may 
be considered at once the founders and to a very great extent the 
finishers also,—yet directs his powerful and accomplished mind to 
more general objects, and especially to the improvement of Educa- 
tion, and the application to that purpose of the resources derivable 
from the most recent advances which science and literature have 
made. ‘The following letter addressed by Sir John to the Rev. Dr. 
Adamson, relative to the proposed scheme of instruction in the South- 
African College, will prove we think as interesting to our readers as 
we have found it, and it will amply justify the remarks with which we 
have now introduced it to their attention. 
A good practical system of public education ought, in my opinion, to be 
more real than formal; I mean, should convey much of positive knowledge 
with as little attention to mere systems and conventional forms as is con- 
sistent with avoiding solecisms. This principle, carried into detail, would 
allow much less weight to the study of languages, especially of dead lan - 
* See the note in the preceding page. 
