NATURE 
249 
THURSDAY, ¥ULY 28, 1870 
NA TURAL HISTORY IN SCHOOLS 
PA MONG the many indications of the taste for natural 
science which is spreading throughout the country, 
there is none more striking than the rapid increase, 
during the last ten years, of local Field Clubs and Natural 
History Societies. Those who reside in our larger towns 
and can ayail themselves of every facility for prosecuting 
their favourite branch of study, are apt to under-estimate 
the value of these bodies, and to look upon them as merely 
accessories to the bringing together, under the name of 
science, of men of congenial tastes, rather than as perform- 
ing any definite or actual work ; but this is an error which 
can only arise in the minds of those who have had no op- 
portunity of seeing the working of such societies, and who 
have not therefore felt the advantages by which mem- 
bership is attended in a remote country district. No 
doubt there are, here and there, Field Clubs which fall 
short of the perfection they ought to attain ; but that these 
are the exception, and not the rule, no one who has in- 
vestigated the matter can reasonably doubt. 
It is not, however, to such societies that we would now 
direct attention, so much as to the rise and progress in 
our public and private schools, of bodies whose aim and 
object is the same ; a progress which is the more gratify- 
ing when we remember that it mainly originates with the 
boys themselves. As to the value of such societies there 
cannot be two opinions. We would not fora moment de- 
preciate cricket and other manly sports ; but we would 
supply for the mind a rational substitute for such manias 
as that of postage-stamp collecting, which a short time ago 
reigned in our schools. 
It may not be known to many who are aware of the 
existence of such societies in our larger schools, that their 
origin dates back nearly forty years. It is to the York 
School, under the superintendence of the Society of 
Friends, that we must look for the first step in this direc- 
tion. In 1834—three years after the formation of the 
Berwickshire Field Club, then the only one of its kind in 
the kingdom—a Natural History Society was formed in the 
York School, which is in operation at the present time, 
Quiet and unpretending, few even of those who take an 
interest in such societies are aware of its existence, or have 
seen the modest report which it issues year by year. Had 
Mr. Carlyle, in his schoolboy days, shared such advantages, 
we should not have him now lamenting that no one ever 
taught him the constellations, or “made him at home in 
the starry heavens!” Looking through the names of 
members, formerly pupils at the school, we note among 
them men now known to science ; and we shall scarcely 
be wrong in supposing that science is in a great measure 
indebted to the York School for the work which they have 
done, and are still doing. 
Turning now to our public schools, the first which claims 
our notice is Marlborough College. In 1863, the Rev. T. 
A. Preston, one of the masters, assisted by some of the 
pupils, published a Flora of Marlborough, “with a hope 
that, by placing before the members of the college a proof 
of the botanical riches of our neighbourhood,” he might 
induce some of them to take an interest in the study of 
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| botany, and perhaps indirectly through this, of some other 
branch of Natural History. How far this hope was real- 
ised may be gathered from the fact that, in afew months 
‘fa spontaneous movement arose among certain members 
of the school towards the pursuit of Natural "History 
with some degree of system and organisation.” The 
Marlborough College Natural History Society was 
speedily formed, Mr. Preston being elected president, and 
to him we are indebted for a complete set of the reports 
issued by the Society, containing the rules, the papers 
read, and the calendars—ornithological, botanical, and 
entomological, for the various years. Asitismainly upon 
the model set by this Society that other similar ones have 
been formed, a few details may be interesting. The rules 
strike us as being particularly good, and might be adopted 
with advantage by Field Clubs generally, although some 
of the best of them, such as that providing for the exclusion 
of members who do not evince sufficient energy in the 
working of the club, could only be satisfactorily carried 
out in school societies. Glancing through the papers, 
their general excellence, as well as the variety of sub- 
jects, is worthy of note. Not that all are of equal value ; 
this indeed it would not be reasonable to expect ; but 
taking them as a whole, they would be creditable to 
members of “grown-up” societies. Due prominence is 
given to those bearing upon matters of local interest, and 
new discoveries in science are brought before the mem- 
bers. The various calendars are most carefully compiled, 
and are so printed as to indicate each year’s additions 
to the flora and fauna of the district; the number of 
members cited as contributing gives us a good idea of 
the actual work done by the Society. Besides these trans- 
actions, a museum has been established, and judging from 
the numerous contributions acknowledged in the reports, it 
is assuming very satisfactory proportions. The formation 
of a museum is a work peculiarly suitable to a school ; a 
common centre, so to speak, is provided, upon which to 
work ; the objects collected are sure to be carefully pre- 
| served, and the collection is in a position where it may be 
of real service to those interested in it. A library has 
also been formed, and we may suggest to any of our 
readers who may happen to have on their shelves dupli- 
cate copies of any scientific work, that they cannot do 
better than forward them for the use of such a body. 
The Harrow School Sctentific Society was founded in 
1865, but here, as at. Marlborough, considerable interest 
had been manifested in Natural Science for some time 
previously, as was evidenced by the publication, in 1864, of 
| a Harrow Flora, with chapters on the birds and insects, 
all by Harrovians. The printed reports give selections 
from the papers read, which, if not equal to those of the 
Marlborough Society, are still creditable ; we have, how- 
ever, no calendars, and the additions to the fauna and flora 
are comparatively few. 
The Rugby School Natural History Society dates from 
March 1867, and ,has issued two reports. The most 
noticeable feature in the published papers is the pro- 
minence given to subjects bearing upon the Darwinian 
theory of the origin of species, and some extremely 
thoughtful essays on this, as well as on the more recent 
facts which support the theory, are printed. Some papers 
on the “Protective Resemblances,” noticeable among 
British, as well as foreign insects, seem to us particularly 
oO 
