Jtme 4, 1874] 



NATURE 



81 



all these and other extraordinary structures, as well as of 

 the arrangement of blossoms in general, and even the very 

 meaning and need of sexual propagation, were left to be 

 supplied by Mr. Darwin. The aphorism " Nature abhors a 

 vacuum" is a characteristic specimen of the Science of the 

 Middle Ages. The aphorism " Nature abhors close fertilisa- 

 tion," and the demonstration of the principle, belong to our 

 age, and to I\Ir. Darwin. To have originated this, and also 

 the principle of Natural Selection— the truthfulness and 

 importance of which are evident the moment it is appre- 

 hended — and to have applied these principles to the 

 system of nature in such a manner as to make, within a 

 dozen years, a deeper impression upon natural history 

 than has been made since Linnreus, is ample title for one 

 man's fame. 



There is no need of our giving any account or of esti- 

 mating the importance of such works as the " Origin of 

 Species by means of Natural Selection," the "Variation 

 of Animals and Plants under Domestication," the 

 " Descent of Man, and Selection in relation to Sex," and 

 the " Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals," — 

 a series to which we may hope other volumes may in 

 due time be added. We would rather, if space 

 permitted, attempt an analysis of the less known but not 

 less masterly, subsidiary essays, upon the various arrange- 

 ments for ensuring cross-fertilisation in flowers, for the 

 climbing of plants and the like. These, as we have 

 heard, may before long be reprinted in a volume, and 

 supplemented by some long-pending but still unfinished 

 investigations upon the action of Dionrea and Drosera — a 

 capital subject for Mr. Darwin's handling. 



Apropos to these papers, which furnish excellent illus- 

 trations of it, let us recognise Darwin's great service to 

 Natural Science in bringing back to it Teleology : so that, 

 instead of Morphology versus Teleology, we shall have 

 Morphology wedded to Teleology. In many, no doubt. 

 Evolutionary Teleology comes in such a questionable 

 shape, as to seem shorn of all its goodness ; but they will 

 think better of it in time, when their ideas become ad- 

 justed, and they see what an impetus the new doctrines 

 have given to investigation. They are much mistaken 

 who suppose that Darwinism is only of speculative impor- 

 tance and perhaps transient interest. In its working 

 applications it has proved to be a new power, eminently 

 practical and fruitful. 



And here, again, we are bound to note a striking con- 

 trast to Mr. Brown, greatly as we revere his memory. He 

 did far less work than was justly to be expected from him. 

 Mr. Darwin not only points out the road, but labours upon 

 it indefatigably and unceasingly. A most commendable 

 iwlilcssf pl'lii^e assures us that he will goon while strength 

 (would we could add health) remains. The vast amount 

 of such work he has already accomplished might overtax 

 the powers of the strongest. That it could have been 

 done at all under constant infirm health is most wonderful. 



Asa Gray 



THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM 



THE authorities of the British Museum may con. 

 gratulate themselves on their not being the only 

 governing body which is considered to be on an anti- 

 quated and improvable foundation, which calls for a 



radical and speedy change. In Australia the same cry 

 has been raised before the Parliament of the Colony, with 

 respect to the Museum at;Sydney. There the biological 

 collection seems to be much in need of improvement, of 

 a greater spirit of enterprise in'its management, and of a 

 more liberal view being taken by its authorities of the 

 rapid advances which are adding day by day to the im- 

 portance of the subject which it so materially assists in 

 teaching. 



We may reasonably ask, what is given as the cause of 

 this want of energy and progressive spirit in the colonial 

 institution ? Curiously enough it is the same as that 

 which is being urged by all scientific men in this country 

 against our national collection, which has found its most 

 powerful expression in the Report of the Royal Commis- 

 sion on Scientific Instruction and Advancement of 

 Science, noticed by us a short time ago (Nature, 

 vol. ix. p. 397), namely, that it is in the hands of a body 

 of irresponsible trustees with a distributed authority, 

 instead of under the management of a paid superintend- 

 ent, who alone is accountable for all that is done. 



It is the so-called " conservative spirit " of the autho- 

 rities against which so much evidence of inefficiency is 

 becoming so prominent. Science — and Natural Science 

 especially — has been making such rapid progress of late 

 years, that the mechanism by which it has to be taught, the 

 elaborate nature of which is only fully understood by those 

 who are actual workers within its confines, has not a 

 sufficient inherent "go" to do the work expected of it. 

 Just as by means of manual labour it was possible to 

 thrash the cereal products of this country with profit in 

 former times, whilst in the present day foreign compe- 

 tition makes the much more speedy steam apparatus 

 absolutely essential ; so when libraries of ancient manu- 

 scripts and the beautiful artistic remains of bygone days 

 were the subjects which formed the most important topics 

 for the consideration of the museum government, the 

 bodies of trustees worked very well. The task they had 

 on hand, being stamped with the name of fine art, was 

 rather a pleasure than a labour ; and the members of the 

 board derived a prestige, and other advantages, from 

 being able to follow their wonted tastes without any feel- 

 ing of incompetency, or any scruples as to the general 

 acceptance of their decision. 



The biological element in our national collection has, 

 however, introduced a different state of things. Those 

 who can afford, from their pecuniary advantages, to spend 

 their time and energies in unremunerative committees, 

 are not the class who dirty their hands with the prelimi- 

 nary training necessary for a zoological or a botanical 

 education. Neither of these subjects were whipped into 

 them at Eton or at Harrow ; they were too old to begin 

 them, except perhaps in a very amateur manner, at Ox- 

 ford or at Cambridge ; and consequently when they find 

 themselves appointed to any authoritative post in after 

 life they set to the work with the antipathy they have 

 always felt against " stinks." 



How can a body so constituted be expected to forward 

 the progress of Natural Science ? The subject is a 

 modern one. It is in need of hard organising work being 

 done by experienced men who take a true interest in the 

 object to be attained. Such men must be pai:l, not by 

 paltry salaries no better than that of a banker's clerk ; for 



