i 4 LEISURE-TIME STUDIES. 



the kind and amount of knowledge which should fit its 

 possessor for imparting elementary instruction in biology. 

 Such a teacher must not of course attempt too much ; and 

 in any case he or she can never be considered a perfect sub- 

 stitute for the professed biologist. But the way for higher 

 teaching may thus be prepared; and an intelligent teacher, 

 possessing himself a love for natural science studies, and 

 having an interest in imparting that love to his pupils, may 

 accomplish no light or insignificant labour in thus cultivating 

 the scientific tastes and habits of the young. Such a teacher 

 may thus fill the place of, though he can never absolutely 

 supplant, the trained and professed scientist already described. 



The exact mode in which school-studies in biology 

 should be conducted, has formed in my own case subject- 

 matter for much consideration. The method of imparting 

 knowledge in the form of the lecture is, I think, after all, the 

 most advantageous manner of teaching biology in schools. 

 But lectures, like most other good things, have their abuses. 

 A biological lecture is worse than useless when it consists of 

 a quantity of disconnected matter poured forth without due 

 order, and without consideration of preceding or succeeding 

 details. And equally are the functions of a lecture abused, 

 in my opinion, when the lecturer, however brilliant and well- 

 informed he may be, gives his thoughts to his audience either 

 in such quantity or at such a speed as renders the mental 

 digestion of the knowledge by his pupils, an utterly im- 

 possible procedure. Professor Huxley, in his address " On 

 the Study of Zoology," conveys his opinions and practice on 

 this matter by stating that he condenses "the substance of 

 the hour's discourse into a few dry propositions, which are 

 read slowly and taken down from dictation ; the reading 

 of each being followed by a free commentary, expanding 

 and illustrating the proposition, explaining terms, and re- 

 moving any difficulties that may be attackable in that way, 

 by diagrams made roughly, and seen to grow under the 

 lecturer's hand." 



But such a mode of conveying instruction, however 



