November i8, 1915] 



NATURE 



309 



• at the highest tyi>e of intellectual activity. \\'e 

 rannot urge with any force the desirability of 

 l)ringing the laity to appreciate the outstanding 

 points of scientific work if specialists in particular 

 sections of such work manifest no interest in the 

 results of investigations by their colleagues in 

 other departments, or will not trouble to make 

 themselves understood outside their own esoteric 

 circle. Papers read before scientific societies are 

 now so highly specialised that only occasionally 

 can they be followed with intelligent interest by 

 the whole of the fellows present at a meeting, and 

 usually not more than two or three people are 

 capable of criticising them. As this is the case in 

 circles where at any rate the general language of 

 -lience is understood, it is not strange that people 

 . lio have not had a scientific education should 

 believe that scientific description must be beyond 

 their comprehension. 



This belief is probably responsible for the fact 

 that there is little demand for popular works on 

 science and few large audiences for scientific, lec- 

 turers. We can say without fear of substantial 

 contradiction that in such an inspiring subject, 

 lor example, as astronomy, attempts at popularisa- 

 tion by books or lectures have less chance of 

 success than they had fifty or a hundred years ago. 

 We are well aware that there are a few individual 

 exceptions to this generalisation, but the state- 

 I ment can be fully justified as a whole, not only 

 as regards astronomy, but also by the experiences 

 of most authors and lecturers in other branches of 

 science. There has been a vast increase in 

 periodical publications and general literature, but 

 the increase in scientific literature has been in the 

 direction of text-books and treatises rather than 

 in popular works, to which little encouragement is 

 given, either by men of science or the public. 



We should be sorry to suggest that scientific 

 work is necessarily associated with poor literary 

 style; indeed, we are sure that the literary com- 

 positions of men of science compare very favour- 

 ably with those of other workers who are not 

 purely men of letters. It may be doubted, how- 

 ever, whether suflRcient encouragement is given 

 to young scientific men to cultivate the power of 

 clear expression, or whether sufficient appreciation 

 is shown of efforts at making science intelligible 

 to the people. An author like Mr. H. G. Wells, 

 who creates wide interest in scientific work, is 

 (k)ing far better service to science than he would 

 if he had concentrated his attention upon the 

 minute biological structures of his early days as 

 student and teacher. It would be greatly to the 

 ■ advantage of science if there were many more 

 NO. 2403, VOL. 96I 



writers possessing like scientific knowledge with 

 brilliant imagination and convincing pen. 



Science can only secure its rightful position in a 

 democratic State when its work and worth are 

 widely known and understood. The makers of 

 new knowledge can be trusted to continue to add 

 to the stores already accumulated, but they should 

 remember also that popular interest means in- 

 creased support for their work and greater use of 

 the results. It is rarely that great capacity for 

 original investigation is combined with the gift 

 of attractive exposition, and more rare to find 

 both qualities being used for the popularisation of 

 science, as, for example, in Sir Ray Lankester's 

 series of masterly notes and essays, three volumes 

 of which have now been published. We believe 

 the influence of such literary work upon the 

 public mind is much greater than is generally 

 understood, and we should like to see many 

 equally attractive efforts of a similar kind in other 

 scientific fields than those with which Sir Ray 

 Lankester is most intimately acquainted. 



The war has made people think of more serious 

 things than those which had their attention a year 

 or two ago, and there are signs that a more 

 satisfying literature will be required than the light 

 pabulum which has hitherto served. What could 

 be better adapted to provide for the coming need 

 than the rich materials of science when attrac- 

 tively displayed? It is the privilege of scientific 

 workers to have garnered these stores ; and it 

 is equally their duty to see that the nation does 

 not perish for want of the stimulating food which 

 they can furnish. If science does not come into 

 its kingdom in the immediate future, it should not 

 be for want of endeavour to enlighten the mind 

 of the public and create intellectual interest in its 

 aims, but because the people are content to be 

 ignorant of the truths learned in the innermost 

 courts of the temple of Nature, and to be without 

 the power which such knowledge can give them. 



ORIGIN OF THE INDIAN CASTE SYSTEM. 



The People of India. By Sir H. Risley. Second 

 edition, edited by W. Crooke. Pp. xxxii + 472 + 

 XXXV plates. (Calcutta and Simla : Thacker, 

 Spink and Co. ; London : \\'. Thacker and Co., 

 191 5.) Price 21.9, net. 



THIS memorial edition of the late Sir H. 

 Risley 's standard work on Indian anthro- 

 pology has fortunately been entrusted to the com- 

 petent hands of Mr, W. Crooke. As no notes 

 were left by the author for a new edition, the 

 editor has reproduced the text generally as it 

 stood in the first, which had quickly run out of 



