x i v INTRODUCTION. 



agent that could be employed for cultivating their facul- 

 ties of observation, and for strengthening their reasoning 

 powers. 



Q. And Prof. Henslow thought that their minds were 

 more developed ; that they were becoming more reasoning 

 beings, from having this study superadded to the others ? 



A. Most decidedly. It was also the opinion of some 

 of the inspectors of schools, who came to visit him, that 

 such children were in general more intelligent than those 

 of other parishes ; and they attribute the difference to 

 their observant and reasoning faculties being thus devel- 

 oped. . . . 



Q. So that the intellectual success of this objective 

 study was beyond question ? 



A. Beyond question. ... In conducting the examina- 

 tions of medical men for the army, which I have now con- 

 ducted for several years, and those for the East India 

 Company's service, which I have conducted for, I think, 

 seven years, the questions which I am in the habit of put- 

 ting, and which are not answered by the majority of the 

 candidates, are what would have been answered by the 

 children in Prof. Henslow's village school. I believe the 

 chief reason to be, that these students' observing faculties, 

 as children, had never been trained such faculties having 

 lain dormant with those who naturally possessed them in a 

 high degree ; and having never been developed, by train- 

 ing, in those who possessed them in a low degree. 



It thus appears that Prof. Henslow left his pupils 

 mostly to themselves, meeting them occasionally to con- 

 sult with them, and advise them when in doubt or diffi- 

 culty. But he did not rely alone upon the fascination of 

 the subject to secure his purpose. 



His profound knowledge of the science and his wis- 

 dom as a teacher enabled him to devise and skillfully ar- 

 range a series of questions, calling attention to all the 

 points of scientific interest in the structure of flowers, and 



