in.] ORIGIN OF TASTE FOR SCIENCE. 193 



on the contrary, the ruling motives in the 

 disposition of a man usually change as he 

 grows older, the love of inquiry in childhood 

 being superseded by the fierce passions of 

 youth, and these by the ambitions of more 

 mature life. But a special taste for science 

 seems frequently to be so ingrained in the 

 constitution of scientific men, that it asserts 

 itself throughout their whole existence. Ob- 

 viously it must have had great influence in 

 directing their early studies and in ensuring 

 their successful prosecution of them in after 

 years. 



It would be a curious inquiry to seek the 

 limits of a special taste, that is, the diversity of 

 the objects, any one of which would satisfy 

 it. I think the indications are clear that the 

 tastes of some of my correspondents are far 

 more special than those of others, and that 

 the latter have checked a tendency to desul- 

 toriness by their strength of will, or have had 

 it checked by the necessities of their position 

 as professors or professional men ; or, most of 

 all, by the possession of that strange quality 



o 



