in.] ORIGIN OF TASTE FOR SCIENCE. 211 



in a half scientific, half literary atmosphere. (3) 

 Family tradition derived through my mother's 

 side. 



Two cases are mentioned in which the origin 

 of the scientific tastes was partly due to the 

 active assistance of the wife. One of these is 

 Botany (5), and the other I have ventured to 

 suppress, as it did not appear to me sufficiently 

 decided. 



F. THE INFLUENCE AND ENCOURAGEMENT 

 OF FRIENDS. 



This group has much in common with, that of 

 the indirect influences already classed under 

 group c ; it includes cases where a fortuitous 

 acquaintance has been the means of deciding a 

 career, probably by revealing a latent taste, or 

 showing how some obstacle in the way of in- 

 dulging it could easily be removed. There is a 

 wide interval, often very difficult to get over, 

 between the study of a subject out of books and 



p 2 



