NA TURE 



{yuly 28, 1 88 1 



of whom also give a little help in the mathematical, and 

 one in the literary teaching. On emerging from the 

 Fourth Form a boy spends a year in Remove, during which 

 his two weekly science lessons are devoted to Physical 

 Geography {Eriikiinde). Passing on into the Lower Divi- 

 sion of the Fifth Form, he is taught the elements of 

 Mechanics, treated experimentally ; and during the next 

 year, spent in "Middle Division," he is occupied with 

 Heat, including the principles of the steam-engine. 

 Except in the case of the Army Class, therefore, science 

 is compulsory during three years of every boy's school 

 life. When he enters the Upper Division of the Fifth 

 Form he may drop science altogether, and devote the 

 two lessons a week to additional mathematics. If he 

 does not do this he has his choice between Chemistry, 

 Geology, Physical Geography, and Biology. Many boys 



leave the school without reaching any higher stage than 

 this; but those who pass on into the "First Hundred" 

 can either give up science in favour of mathematics or of 

 some literary subject, or, on the other hand, they may take 

 up a second scientific subject, and get an additional two 

 lessons a week. During the present School-time they 

 can select from Chemistry (Metals), Physics (Light), 

 Geology (Elementary and Advanced), Physiography, 

 Bot.iny, and Physiology (Muscle and Nerve). Hence 

 a boy who enters Remove at thirteen and stays at Eton 

 until he is nineteen, has the opportunity of acquiring a 

 considerable amount of elementary scientific knowledge. 

 He hears two lectures a week and writes out an abstract 

 of them which is looked over and corrected. His pro- 

 gress is tested by written examinations, the frequency of 

 which depends upon the master he is "up to." Oral 



VIEW-»OF — SOOrM — FR. 



examination is rarely possible except in the upper parts I 

 of the school, owing to the necessarily large size of the 

 classes. ] 



At the examinations for promotion which occur every 

 Half, though they are annual as regards individual boys, 

 science is allotted from one-tenth to one-twelfth of the 

 total marks. Although it is not a "pluck subject" like 

 mathematics, yet many a boy who has failed by a few 

 marks in his "general total" regrets not having paid 

 more attention to his science lectures, which would have 

 enabled him to make up the deficit; and the effect is 

 often visible in the improvement in his abstracts during 

 the next School-time. 



Besides the compulsory science, which is a part of the 

 regular school-work, many boys devote three or four 

 hours of their spare time every week to some form of 

 practical scientific work. Most of them are preparing 

 themselves to try for the prizes given annually by the 



Governing Body for Chemistry and Physics, Geology 

 and Physical Geography, and Biology respectively. 

 A chemical laboratory', with accommolation for twenty- 

 eight boys at once, has been in use for some years. It 

 owes its existence in great part to the liberality of the 

 present Head-Master, Dr. Hornby, some of the Assistant 

 Masters, and some old Etonians. The laboratory and 

 chemical lecture room, together with a private laboratory, 

 apparatus-room, store-rooms, &:c., form a handsome build- 

 ing in Keate's Lane. C)pposite to it is the Round School, 

 formerly used for mathematical teaching, and now con- 

 verted into a museum. It contains a fine collection of 

 British birds made by the late Provost of King's College, 

 Cambridge, Dr. Thackeray, and presented by him to the 

 school. Some of the specimens are valuable, owing to 

 their being mentioned by Yarrell. There is also a good 

 collection of Lepidoptera made by a former pupil of the 

 school, and presented by his parents after his untimely 



