SEPTEMBER ITI, 1902] 
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 
[The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions ex- 
pressed by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake 
to return, or to correspond with the writers of, rejected 
manuscripls intended for this or any other part of NATURE. 
No notice ts taken of anonymous communications. ] 
Science in the Public Schools. 
In Narure, vol. Ixvi. p. 320, I directed attention to the 
insignificant place which science still holds in comparison with 
languages in our secondary education, as indicated by the results 
of the last matriculation examination at the University of 
London, the term ‘‘science” being limited to the sciences of 
experiment and observation, as distinguished from mathematical 
science. It was recognised at the time that the majority of the 
great public schools of England were only slightly represented 
in that examination. We have now, however, the results re- 
cently published of the examination for higher certificates con- 
ducted by the Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination 
Board, which is a far better index of the real position of 
science in schools of the class mentioned. An examination of 
these lists is not found to be very reassuring. Eton College, 
for example, with its thousand boys, gains forty-five certificates, 
yet I cannot find a single name of an Eton boy who has passed 
in any scientific subject. The following list (with results) 
contains six of the largest and most representative of such 
schools :— 
Eton ... 45 certificates © passes in science. 
Winchester 48 A Bis ay! 55 Be) 
Rugby $55 58 =F eG ” ” 
Cheltenham 
College 32 4A as os ar 
Clifton College 23 35 aS - en 
Marlborough 18 * coma 4 $9 ne 
The case of Rugby is the more remarkable, since in the ’70’s 
we looked upon that school as a pioneer, the importance of 
science teaching having been recognised by its great head-master, 
Dr. Temple, now Primate of All England. It is only fair to 
state that several of the great public schools, such as Harrow, 
Wellington and Charterhouse, are not represented. . 
If we turn now to the published analysis of the results of the 
whole examination for all the schools concerned, we find 2844 
passes in the four languages Latin, Greek, French and German, 
with 160 (or 5°6 per cent.) first classes; while for the five 
branches of science allowed by the Board we find only 422 passes, 
with 98 (or 23°2 per cent.) first classes. These figures again tell 
us of the great preponderance of language teaching estimated 
numerically ; on the other hand, a comparison of the percentages 
of first classes is highly complimentary to the science-teaching, 
where it is allowed free quarter. 
Speaking generally, the figures quoted may be fairly taken as 
representing the general attitude towards science of those who 
have charge of the education of the majority of the boys drawn 
from the best blood of England. They suggest (1) that the 
superstition that science forms no part of the education of a 
gentleman still holds the field; and (2) that the real study of 
science involves too much trouble in places where the interest 
in games dominates the whole school-life. There is not a doubt 
that the state of things disclosed would be to a large extent 
remedied if the Universities would insist upon an elementary 
knowledge of some one branch of science for a pass degree and 
the Army entrance examinations were so adjusted as to require 
every candidate to take up at least one science subject in the 
competitive examinations. The present movement in a circle 
leads us nowhere, with the supineness of the governing bodies 
of the public schools. The published results of the Army com- 
petitions do not enable us to extend the above investigation to 
them, since they do not tell us from what schools the several 
successful candidates come ; but it is to be feared that even at 
Woolwich there is still truth in what was said to me a few years 
ago by one who knew, that science is looked upon as something 
“less than the fifth wheel of the coach”; while.in the entrance 
examination for the Staff College, science has still, I believe, no 
place at all. Thus we go on dreaming, while Germany, 
America and other countries are wide awake, and the first rule 
with our leading statesmen seems to be to ‘‘shift responsi- 
bility,” as they cast about them in their feeble attempts at 
NO. 1715, VOL. 66] 
NATURE 
459 
educational legislation for ‘‘light and leading.” The universities 
and the War Office have the power, if only they had the will, to 
act in the way here suggested ; and it can scarcely be doubted 
that a speedy reform in our secondary education would come 
about simply through the transfer (in the magisterial mind) of 
science from the category of things to be ¢o/erated to the 
category of educatzonaé essentials. 
An experience of public-school work extending over more 
than a quarter of a century entitles me, I think, to venture to 
express strong views on this matter, which is one of natural 
and imperial concern. Surely, those of our scientific giants 
who have places on the governing bodies of our public schools. 
might wake up to their responsibilities, look into things more 
closely, and dosomething to strengthen the hands of those who, 
as science masters, often labour under grave disadvantages in 
the stress of the conflict of interests, which must be found in 
every corporate society such as a great public school. There 
are, however, to my knowledge cases of enlightened head- 
masters struggling to move their governing bodies to the 
necessary expenditure, though insufficiently supported by the 
pressure of public opinion from the outside. As things are in 
this country, it Seems hopeless to look to the ‘‘Conference of 
Head-Masters” (a sort of educational Vatican Council) for a 
broad and fair-minded dealing with this question. 
This letter is not written in any spirit of hostility to classical 
and literary studies, the culture derived from which is too often 
lacking among men of science, but under the conviction that, 
with a keener spirit of wor% in the public schools and a’ better 
correlation and graduation of studies, science might lift up its 
head more’than it does at present. A, IRVING. 
Bishop’s Stortford, September 3. 
Animal Intelligence. 
ALTHOUGH the terms ‘‘ass” and, at any rate in Germany, 
“ox ” (Ochs) are very generally applied to stupid persons, those 
who have observed the bovine and asinine genera know that 
this is an injustice to those animals ; and the following instances. 
of particular intelligence displayed by two of the thus maligned 
beasts seem worth recording. 
A donkey that was kept here learnt to open, not only the 
gate of its own field, but other gates. One day, having left its 
own abode, accompanied by two ponies, it went to another 
field half a mile off, opening three gates on the way, liberated 
the occupants of this field, a mare and her foal, and a yearling, 
old friends of the donkey’s, as they used to live together, 
and the whole party, which had been joined by a mastiff,. 
proceeded to wander through the world. About two miles 
from here the horses were recognised and secured, and the 
donkey eventually returned with the mastiff; but after this 
exploit it was thought advisable to get rid of the donkey, as 
being too zealously devoted to the cause of emancipation. 
A Scotch bullock, which had been in the park here for about 
two years, was sold to a butcher at Derby Market (fourteen 
miles south of this place) and taken by train to Darley (nine 
miles north of here). A day or two afterwards the bullock. 
found its way back here, having escaped from its would-be 
slaughterer, but had, alas! to be sent back to him, It is 
incredible that the animal can have observed the road from the 
railway, and the only explanation is that it was brought along 
the road from Darley when driven here originally from Scot- 
land; but in any case this is a striking instance of tenacious 
memory and strong attachment to home or comrades. 
L. C. Hurt. 
Alderwasley, Matlock, Derbyshire, September 4. : 
Variation of Common Copper Butterfly. 
In August, I took a rather large specimen of Polymatus 
phioeas (the common copper butterfly), which has a row of four 
faint silver-blue spots inside the copper band on the posterior 
margin of the upper surface of the hind wings. 
I should be very glad if any of your readers could tell me if 
this variation is common, as I can find no mention of it in the 
book I use, and have never seen another case, though I have: 
examined many of the same species. 
With apologies for troubling you. esi 4G 
September 4. 
