vi.] ON THE STUDY OF ZOOLOGY. 09 



understood that I need hardly enlarge upon it. I hold that 

 both written and oral examinations are indispensable, and, by 

 requiring the description of specimens, they may be made 

 to supplement demonstration. 



Such is the fullest reply the time at my disposal will allow 

 me to give to the question how may a knowledge of zoology 

 be best acquired and communicated ? 



But there is a previous question which may be moved, and 

 which, in fact, I know many are inclined to move. It is the 

 question, why should training masters be encouraged to acquire 

 a knowledge of this, or any other branch of physical science ? 

 What is the use, it is said, of attempting to make physical 

 science a branch of primary education ? Is it not probable 

 that teachers, in pursuing such studies, will be led astray 

 from the acquirement of more important but less attractive 

 knowledge ? And, even if they can learn something of science 

 without prejudice to their usefulness, what is the good of 

 their attempting to instil that knowledge into boys whose 

 real business is the acquisition of reading, writing, and 

 arithmetic ? 



These questions are, and will be, very commonly asked, for 

 they arise from that profound ignorance of the value and true 

 position of physical science, which infests the minds of the 

 most highly educated and intelligent classes of the community. 

 But if I did not feel well assured that they are capable 

 of being easily and satisfactorily answered ; that they have 

 been answered over and over again; and that the time 

 will come when men of liberal education will blush to raise 

 such questions, I should be ashamed of my position here 

 to-night. Without doubt, it is your great and very important 

 function to cany out elementary education ; without question, 

 anything that should interfere with the faithful fulfilment of 

 that duty on your part would be a great evil ; and if I thought 

 that your acquirement of the elements of physical science, 

 and your communication of those elements to your pupils, 

 involved any sort of interference with your proper duties, I 



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