X ON THE STUDY OF BIOLOGY 271 



and inasmuch as, on a moderate estimate, there 

 are about a quarter of a million different species 

 of animals and plants to know about already, we 

 feel that we have more than sufficient territory. 

 There has been a sort of practical convention by 

 which we give up to a different branch of science 

 what Bacon and Hobbes would have called " Civil 

 History." That branch of science has constituted 

 itself under the head of Sociology. I may use 

 phraseology which, at present, will be well under- 

 stood and say that we have allowed that province 

 of Biology to become autonomous ; but I should 

 like you to recollect that that is a sacrifice, and 

 that you should not be surprised if it occasionally 

 happens that you see a biologist apparently 

 trespassing in the region of philosophy or politics ; 

 or meddling with human education ; because, after 

 all, that is a part of his kingdom which he has 

 only voluntarily forsaken. 



Having now defined the meaning of the word 

 Biology, and having indicated the general scope of 

 Biological Science, I turn to my second question, 

 which is Why should we study Biology ? 

 Possibly the time may come when that will seem 

 a very odd question. That we, living creatures, 

 should not feel a certain amount of interest in 

 what it is that constitutes our life will eventually, 

 under altered ideas of the fittest objects of human 

 inquiry, appear to be a singular phenomenon ; but 

 at present, judging by the practice of teachers and 



