28 Teachings of Thomas Huxley 



offer a guide to the salient points of a subject. 

 They explain difficulties and give a bird's eye 

 view of the matter in hand. Demonstrations 

 are important adjuncts because they educate 

 the visual memory and furnish a picture from 

 which hypotheses can be derived later on. But 

 most valuable of all are examinations in studies 

 pursued because they require a complete and 

 accurate recollection of Avhat has been learned. 

 Knowledge of any biological study that is good 

 for anything requires thought, discussion, and 

 reconstruction, hence as a type of mental gym- 

 nastics scientific work of this kind is indis- 

 pensable and can scarcely be replaced by other 

 educational methods. One reason, then, why 

 biology has progressed in popular interest is 

 because it has been understood and because it 

 is a basis for sound mental training. "Modern 

 eivilization," says Professor Huxley, "rests 

 upon physical science ; take away her gifts to 

 our own country (England) and our position 

 among the leading nations of the world is gone 

 to-morrow ; for it is physical science only that 

 makes intelligence a moral energy stronger 

 than brute force." 



