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378 NATURE [ Sept. 11, 1873 
changed, without any violent transformation, into the 
modern scientific student. It is not so much that the 
subject-matter of his studies will be different, for in this 
respect the reform must be gradual, and is already being 
carried out, but that the whole spirit of his pursuit must 
be altered along with the tenure of his office. The prin- 
ciple throughout advocated is not that money should be 
abstracted from the Universities for general scientific 
objects, but that the large funds which they cannot need 
for the purposes of teaching, should, for the future, be 
devoted, not as prizes to their successful examinees, but 
for the support of those engaged in original scientific 
work : and it is contended that this is the sole means by 
which they can justify their retention at all of this sur- 
plus, and by which also the main objects of the first 
givers can be carried out. It must also be noticed that 
this development of our scheme brings out into greater 
clearness the old position that the obligation of teaching 
would be merely an incumbrance on our new scientific 
fellow. Discoveries in Science, especially those of the 
most important kind, are made in such a tentative 
fashion, and are proved by such elaborate inferences, as 
to be quite incapable of being communicated orally to a 
class ; nor indeed would it be desirable that researches, 
as soon as made, should be forthwith promulgated from 
the professor’s chair. The growth of Science, whether 
physical or not, must in many cases be militant, and may 
be left much more profitably to the student, who is ever 
investigating with a single eye to the truth, than to the 
teacher, who must be always careful of the form in which 
his doctrine is to be conveyed. 
We trust, therefore, that by this attempt to show that 
the meaning of scientific research is not so restricted as 
it has been some times represented; not only has the 
general thesis of these articles been strengthened, but 
also that new adherents may be conciliated in favour of a 
cause which promises to connect together the followers of 
physical science and those at the Universities who alone 
worthily maintain the dignity of their ancient studies ; 
and it must always be understood that we have looked 
upon the Universities as representing local State action, 
and that the nation must do universally what we think 
should be done by the University authorities locally at 
Oxford and Cambridge. Gc 
EUROPEAN SPIDERS 
Remarks on Synonyms of European Spiders. By T. 
Thorell, Ph.D., Junior Professor of Zoology in the 
University of Upsala. (Upsala, 1870-73, pp. 1-644.) 
EW branches, perhaps, of entomological science 
show the effects of independent and isolated labours 
more strikingly than Arachnology—limiting this term 
here to the order Araneidea (or Aranez). The great 
works of N. Westring on Swedish Spiders, published in 
1861, that of Mr. Blackwall on those of Great Britain 
and Ireland. published 1861-64, and the “Catalogue 
Synonymique des Araneides d’Europe,” by M. Eugéne 
Simon (included in his general work “ Histoire Naturelle 
des Araignées,” published 1864), are an instance repre- 
senting very strongly the fruits of this isolated labour in 
the same branch of natural history science, These 
authors appear to have been, and indeed, it is believed, 
actually were—the two former at all events—totally igno- 
rant of each other's existence. M. Simon, indeed, quotes 
Mr. Blackwall occasionally in his “Catalogue Syno- 
nymique,” but his knowledge of that author’s works was 
apparently confined to the scanty and often erroneous 
quotations in Baron Walckenders’»“Insectes Aptéres.” 
Mr. Blackwall then and M. Westring, each in his own 
way and with the works of other authors more or less at 
their common command, plodded on for years in parallel 
paths. Both worked diligently and laboriously, at, for a 
very great part, as a glance at the map would suggest, 
identical objects ; their labours at length resulting in the 
respective volumes above mentioned. So much as this 
however can hardly be said in regard to the third one of 
the works noted. The “ Catalogue Synonymique” bears 
few marks of labour at the objects themselves which it 
enumerates, and is in fact a mere desk work, remarkable 
chiefly for the limited and often infelicitous use of the 
materials undoubtedly available at that epoch to any 
author professing to gather together and to harmonise 
the independent and scattered morsels of an extensive 
branch of natural science. The good work, however, 
done since, and being now daily done in Arachnology by 
M. Simon, will soon obliterate the remembrance of the 
comparative failure of the more ambitious efforts of his 
early years. 
Towards these isolated works of Mr. Blackwall and 
Mr. Westring the minds of Arachnologists in more than 
one quarter appear soon to have been directed, with a 
view to bring their parallel lines together. Dr. T. Thorell 
—of the University of Upsala—a countryman and per- 
sonal friend {of Mr. Westring, and an accomplished 
scholar, was the first to move publicly in it : and bringing 
great ability and,clearness of head to bear upon the sub- 
ject, designed,an almost exhaustive work on “ European 
Spiders.” Of this work, and under that title, was published 
in 1869-70,{Part I. with the special title of “ Review of 
the European Genera of Spiders, preceded by some 
Observations on Zoological Nomenclature.” This por- 
tion of the proposed work appeared in the “ Nova Acta 
Regize Societatis Scientiarum Upsaliensis,” ser. iii. vol, vii. 
Fasc. i. et ii. ; but owing to some unforeseen difficulty, 
and unfortunately for the external continuity of the two 
portions of the work, the second part, intended to treat 
upon the more special division of the subject, was 
published in 1870-73 as a separate work in a different 
form and with an independent title, being that given at 
the head of this notice, viz. “ Remarks on Synonyms of 
European Spiders ;” this is, however, as may be at once 
seen from the respective introductions to the two, al- 
though the title of the second does not allude to it, really _ 
Part II. of the originally designed work, “On European. 
Spiders.” It is thus evident that though the present 
notice is upon the second work, it could not be adequately 
considered without first remarking briefly upon the one 
which preceded. 
Dr. Thorell’s stated object (“ European Spiders,” p. 1) 
being to fix the nomenclature of the spiders described in 
the works of Blackwall and Westring, it was obviously 
necessary first to decide upon the genera recognised by 
them, and by those authors also to whom they refer ; and 
for both this and the subsequent determination of the 
specific name to which each spider was entitled, it was, 
