236 ENGLISH MEN OF SCIENCE. [CHAP. 



One-third of those who sent replies have been 

 educated at Oxford or Cambridge, one-third at 

 Scotch, Irish, or London universities, and the 

 remaining third at no university at all. I am 

 totally unable to decide which of the three 

 groups occupies the highest scientific position : 

 they seem to me very much alike in this 

 respect. 



The questions to which the following .replies 

 were given, were as follows : " Was your edu- 

 cation especially conducive to, or restrictive of, 

 habits of observation ? " " Was your education 

 eminently conducive to health or the reverse ? " 

 "What do you consider to have been peculiar 

 merits in your education ? " " What were the 

 chief omissions in it, and what faults of com- 

 mission can you indicate ? " I also asked for 

 information concerning the places of education, 

 both schools and colleges, and as regards home 

 and self-instruction. The answers were, in some 

 cases, very interesting from their minute elabo- 

 ration, but I am, of course, restricted on this 

 occasion to a simple treatment of them. I 

 cannot now paint with delicate tints, but must 



