354 
complaint upon what appears to me most narrow and unreason- 
able grounds. The representatives of science have been tolerably 
unanimous in demanding of the Government further aid to 
science, and I think they should with equal unanimity protest 
against any such grumbling at a promised instalment before its 
nature and conditions are known. 
Mr. Foster says ‘‘thatit is fair to assume that Government,” 
&c,, &c., and then having stated the details of his assumption, 
proceeds to criticise it, I think (and surely shall not be alone 
in this opinion) that it is most unfair to assume anything of the 
kind as the basis of criticism. When the details of the Govern- 
ment scheme appear, will be the proper time to discuss them. 
Being as ignorant of these details as Mr, Foster appears to 
be, I can say nothing about them, but must protest against the 
principle upon which Mr, Foster’s complaint is based, It is 
this, that Government must initiate no scientific effort, give no 
special aid or patronage to any college or scientific institution, 
lest it should assail the vested interests of ‘‘institutions like 
University College and King’s College in London, and Owens 
College in Manchester.” According to this shopkeeping view 
of the interests of these institutions, they themselves should neyer 
have come into existence, and all endowments or other extra- 
neous aids to new institutions must be regarded as attacks upon 
the vested interests of their more venerable competitors, 
Tn the classic period when Munro Primus, Munro Secundus, 
and Munro Tertius occupied successively the anatomical chair of 
the University of Edinburgh, its medical school was the most 
flourishing in Great Britain ; students journeyed from London 
and all parts of England to attend its classes. At about the 
culminating period of its rising fame the London University 
was founded, and among its most active promoters were Lord 
Brougham and other Scotchmen. According to Mr, Foster, 
these Scotchmen were traitors to their own University, for 
undoubtedly the medical schools of University College, King’s 
College, and the proyincial colleges affiliated to the London 
University, have, by the competition of their metropolitan 
prestige, patronage, endowments, and local facilities, seriously 
rivalled their northern predecessor; and if the University of 
Edinburgh were merely established for the purpose of providing 
class-fees for its professors, the Scotch promoters of the London 
University were traitors to their own a/ma mater; but if the 
objects of the Edinburgh University are the promotion of science 
and diffusion of general knowledge, then the founders of the 
London University were co-operating with the Edinburgh Uni- 
versity, even though they thinned the attendance in some of its 
class-rooms, 
The other institution whose yested interests Mr. Foster 
specially pleads to conserye, should rather be suppressed, if his 
principle were accepted, for by its rich endowment and /restige. 
Owens College competes unfairly with the less-favoured insti- 
tutions of Manchester and the priyate science teachers there who 
haye no share in its endowments. Mr. Oliver Mason is about 
to build and endow with princely munificence a great educational 
establishment in Birmingham, and has bought the ground within 
a stone’s throw of the Birmingham and Midland Institute. If 
the council and friends of the Midland Institute accepted Mr. 
Foster’s views, they would denounce Mr. Mason’s project as the 
founding of an opposition shop, which, by its rich endowment, 
might undersell their own and take away their customers, If 
they regarded the existing institute as merely established and 
maintained for the purpose of proyiding certain professors with 
their present moderate salaries, for supporting a secretary and 
his assistant, and for the comfortable maintenance of the porter 
and his wife, they might consistently do so; but speaking from 
direct personal knowledge, I can affirm that, on the contrary, 
they of all others are the most rejoiced by Mr, Mason’s munifi- 
cence, because they are the most deeply interested in the intel- 
lectual progress of their town, I recommend Mr, Foster to 
imbibe some of their spirit, and to rest assured that no reyo- 
lutionary disturbances are likely to result from excessive 
endowment or patronage of scientific institutions, either by the 
present or any other British Goyernment of this generation. 
Even if Mr. Lowe’s next financial surprise should consist in 
devoting a portion of the national surplus to the elevation of the 
national intellect, let generous acceptance accompany our 
amazement, W. Mattirev WILLIAMS 
Scientific Research 
DURING the last century every branch of scientific research has 
undergone gigantic strides towards perfection. Great credit is 
NATURE 
[ See. 1, 1870 
due, ay, even in greater proportions than is given, to those 
talented minds, who, although on every hand impeded by ob- 
stacles, have successfully overcome every difficulty, and solved pro- 
blems which excite the wonder and admiration of the universe. 
Within the limits in which I am compelled to restrain myself, it 
will not be necessary to pursue my idea with elaborate detail ; 
but if I generalise with sufficient skill, abler hands can take up 
the thread and unwind it to the extremest minutiz. 
The means required for the prosecution of scientific research 
in a systematic manner, have neyer been at all adequate to the 
requirements. Various branches of science, such for example as 
astronomy, chemistry, &c., require an immense outlay in order 
to enable the philosopher to pursue his inyestigations with any 
prospects of a successful result. Others again, such as botany, 
geology, &c,, require the devotion of long periods of time for the 
collection of specimens and their classification. Our socicties 
certainly have, by their energy and emulative inducements, suc- 
ceeded in extending scientific research far beyond the point which 
the most sanguine mind desired a century ago, But might not these 
societies be made much more useful ; would it not be possible to 
distribute more widely their published transactions? Many 
gentlemen who take a great interest in scientific questions, but 
who do not liye in London, are prevented from joining the 
societies by their exclusiveness. To them the valuable libraries, 
the periodical meetings, are useless, they therefore do not sub- 
scribe, and the high price of the publications prevents many 
from becoming purchasers. It seems to have become a settled 
opinion amongst scientific bodies, that everybody is able to spend 
1/., or even more, just when he pleases, upon a luxury. 
Unconnected with any society—not because of their own wish, 
but from their misfortune—hundreds of steadfast, able minds are 
working, adding, or being forestalled in, as the case may be, their 
mite here and there, in the onward march of progress. It is by 
unknown, frequently penniless searches after truth, that the 
great and complex problems have been solyed. These grcat 
minds exist among us still. As examples, let me cite one or 
two instances, before suggesting an idea whereby we might hear 
more of such people. Whilst residing at Oxford, I became 
acquainted with a policeman, W, S., whose geological collection 
and information would have been worthy of one of our greatest 
and richest sayants. A young gentleman, now a dissenting 
minister, and an undergraduate of that excellent institution, the 
London University, colleeted and classified some hundred species 
of the flora of his native county, Yorkshire. A third gentleman 
is assiduous in his botanical researches, and has, I believe, col- 
lected and classified the whole of the flora of another county, 
Now, it is such minds as these that, judiciously directed, make 
the greatest discoyeries. Their only incentive to labour is a 
fixed inherent desire to know more of certain things , they haye 
really no aim but the satisfying of the natural tendency to moye 
in this direction, The published text-books upon various scien- 
tific subjects are not adapted for self-taught students, the authors 
presuppose the aid of a master. There is no meeting together 
to discuss what this or that one has done, but each laboriously 
pursues his own path, often wasting valuable time in going over 
ground already fully explored. 
I would suggest that local societies in connection with the 
central bodies, be formed in every county, The nucleus to these 
bodies already exists in clergymen, doctors, solicitors, and aboye 
all, tutors and schoolmasters. There is a yearning amongst many 
of these men for more information, and, as previously stated, 
they are debarred from reaping any benefits from the central 
bodies as conducted at the present moment. The government 
of these branches should be soinewhat similar to that of the 
older societies ; each member ought to contribute an annual 
subscription, in return for which he would recetve— 
a. Free admission to all meetings of the local and of the 
central society. 
8. The transactions of the society also free. 
y. Any other benefits as the committee might determine, 
or which could be obtained, 
Thus far the scheme I advocate is simple, but it may be said, 
this necessitates the formation of as mahy branches as there are 
societies. Not so, however ; the country members within each 
district would be too few to allow of this; but they might @// 
congregate under one roof, be subject to” one government, and 
reap the advantages of communion. Every member might upon 
election signify the particular transactions he wished to obtain ; 
his subscription, after deducting a certain per-centage for local 
expenses, could be sent to the society publishing them, aud he 
should be enrolled upon its books as a dené fide member. ‘The 
