July 7, 1898] 



NATURE 



227 



Some manufacturers know quite well that their indus- 

 tries are dependent upon scientific knowledge ; but they 

 havegot into the way of saying that they do not want people 

 around them knowing too much, and that when they want 

 a scientific man they can send for him. But a man of 

 science called in on such octfasions rs not always able to 

 prescribe the exact remedy for the particular disease 

 concerning which he is consulted. This is not to be 

 wondered at, considering that industry has done her best 

 so long to keep science at a distance, that science has 

 |)ursued her own path independently with small direct 

 reference to the needs of industry. 



Prof. Tilden seconded the resolution, and took the 

 opportunity of pointing out that, though in the past 

 there had been much prejudice in the minds of British 

 manufacturers against a University training, because they 

 had been disposed to regard it as all very well for clergy- 

 . men and schoolmasters, but useless in practical affairs ; 

 nevertheless a University rightly organised and rightly 

 conducted might be made a most practical kind of thing. 



He urged upon the meeting the importance ofe noting 

 what is being done in other countries, especially the 

 United States of America and Germany, and pointed to 

 the fact that in these countries not only are Universities 

 numerous, but are influential and richly endowed ; 

 while the directors, managers, and even foremen in 

 manufacturing concerns are almost entirely men who 

 have received a complete scientific education, and have 

 taken a degree in one of the Universities, or if not in the 

 I'niversity in one of the polytechnics or technical schools. 

 The polytechnics of London and the municipal technical 

 -chools in this country are institutions which have done, 

 and are doing, good service ; but there are indications 

 that the public do not realise how different they are from 

 their prototypes on the Continent, partly in consequence 

 of the inferior quality of the teaching staff, and partly by 

 reason of the fact that the instruction given in such 

 institutions in this country is only partial, and does not 

 demand the devotion of the whole time and energy of 

 the student. As to the influence of the Universities in 

 England, it was obvious that the ancient Universities, 

 though perhaps partly alive to the question, are in- 

 capable of providing what is wanted by industry. A 

 ,^reat opportunity is now at hand for creating a University 

 if a new type, in which all that is best of the 

 old and the new can be associated together; not 

 merely a large public school, but a place for men and 

 women, a place for study and also eminently a place for 

 research, and a place where that predominance of examin- 

 ations which unfortunately prevails so generally in most 

 British universities would be got rid of. In constituting 

 her University Birmingham would do well to emphasise 

 the clairns of science in its application to industry by 

 establishing a faculty of "technics" in which "applied 

 science " should be put on an equality, so far as honours 

 and rewards are concerned, with the faculties of arts and 

 of pure science. Mr. Chamberlain supported the motion 

 in a speech which passed in review the course of events 

 which had led up to the movement then inaugurated, 

 and made a strong and effective appeal to local patriotism 

 which had done so much in the past, which had made 

 Birmingham what it was, and which he believed would 

 now set the crown upon'their educational work. 



The Bishop of Hereford, in moving for the formation of 



a general committee, made an interesting speech which 



was listened to with all the more attention that the 



I'.ishop of the diocese had endeavoured to throw cold 



ater on the scheme by pointing to the spiritual destitu- 



(in of the district, and indicating his opinion that this 



ought to be remedied before other schemes were brought 



forward. The Bishop of Hereford, however, pointed out 



that not only was it impossible to put a stop to a great 



tidal movement which arose out of civic patriotism, but 



that the work in which they were engaged was actually 



NO. 1497, VOL. 58] 



more likely than any other to help the growth of that 

 spirit in every denomination in the city which would 

 never rest till the spiritual needs of the community were 

 adequately supplied. The Bishop in concluding referred 

 to Bristol and its University College, of which he is 

 President. 



At one time it seemed probable that the Birmingham, 

 project would take the shape of a federation of colleges 

 among which Bristol would be included. That idea 

 seems now to be abandoned. But the success of move- 

 ments of this kind seems to be dependent chiefly upon 

 financial support ; and if Birmingham brings her scheme 

 to completion it may be hoped that this will serve as a 

 stimulus to other cities to follow her example, so that at 

 some future, not far distant, time, not only will London, 

 have a University worthy of her great position, but every 

 large centre of population will be occupied by a seat of 

 learning at once the guide and helper of local industry 

 and a focus of the light and culture of the world. 



THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL 

 HISTORY. 

 'X'HE imminent retirement of Sir William Flower after 

 -*- his long and extremely efficient service as Director 

 of the Natural History Museum, is an event of very 

 serious importance to the progress of natural science in 

 England. At one time the national collection, like any 

 little country museum, was a jumble of curiosities and 

 antiquities, the stray result of capricious generosity. As 

 knowledge grew, the various departments became spe- 

 cialised, and in the middle Victorian period, thanks to 

 the prescience of Owen, and the active interest of the 

 Prince Consort, a prodigious dichotomy was effected. 

 The collections relating to what are called by a well- 

 known if illogical term, the Natural Sciences, were separ- 

 ated from the sculptures of Assyria and Greece, from the 

 papyri and coins, the remains of the arts and manufac- 

 tures of earlier civilisations, and were lodged in the magni- 

 ficent palace in South Kensington. They were placed 

 under the care of a small army of specialists — zoological, 

 botanical, geological and mineralogical — and these were 

 directed by a single controlling general, directly respon- 

 sible to the nation through the Trustees and the Treasury. 

 The great abilities of Owen, and the coordinating genius 

 of Sir William Flower, rapidly made the British Museum, 

 of Natural History an institution of world-wide import- 

 ance. Scientific men from provincial England, from 

 Scotland and Ireland, from the Colonies and from other 

 nations, came to regard it more and more as the greatest 

 of centres for the elaboration of all knowledge in natural 

 science depending on the presence, classification, and. 

 display of material specimens. As the reputation of the 

 Museum has grown, so also has grown the work done 

 and to be done in it. Collectors from all parts of the world 

 lavish on it or offer to it for sale the best of their speci- 

 mens ; naturalists bequeath to its care their treasured collec- 

 tions from a thousand sources, and so material for scientific 

 work accumulates. The members of the staff become 

 specialists of extraordinary knowledge ; many of them, 

 junior and senior, are experts of European reputation in 

 their own departments. Among all the activities of our 

 great nation, the scientific activity of the Natural History 

 Museum takes a great and increasingly great place. 



It is obvious that as this organism grows in activity 

 and specialisation, the position of its Director becomes, 

 more arduous and important. The Director of the 

 Natural History Museum should be the leader of the 

 natural sciences in the Empire. He has the opportunity 

 of influencing both society and the Legislature by per- 

 sonal contact and intercourse. He should be the channel 

 through which the scientific workers of the nation make 

 known their needs and aspirations. He should have 



