November 17, 1916] 



SCIENCE 



693 



public libraries, universities, technical 

 schools and like institutions, attended by 

 members of scientific societies and their 

 friends, have usually audiences of about 

 30 in number, and the limit of accommo- 

 dation does not often exceed about 200. The 

 average attendance of the whole of the lec- 

 tures, of which particulars have been re- 

 ceived, is about 300. In the town hall, 

 Stockport, the average is 1,250, "but this 

 is a decreasing number ; " at the Mechanics ' 

 Institution, Burnley, it is 800-1,200; at 

 the town hall, Portsmouth, 500-2,000; at 

 the Merchant Venturers' Technical Col- 

 lege, Bristol, 600-800; at the Birmingham 

 and Midland Institute, 700; at the Albert 

 Institute, Dundee, 500-800; at various 

 towns distributed through England, Wales 

 and Ireland the average attendance at Gil- 

 christ Lectures is about 600; and at the 

 Geographical Institute, Newcastle, about 

 500. 



4. What subjects attract the largest au- 

 diences? 



From the point of view of local scientific 

 societies, the most popular subjects are 

 local archeology and antiquities, animal 

 and bird life, and other aspects of natural 

 history. The most popular public lectures 

 are those on travel and adventure by ex- 

 plorers whose names are widely known. 

 Astronomy is rarely mentioned, but this is 

 probably because local scientific societies 

 are mostly concerned with natural history 

 and there are few good lecturers on astron- 

 omy. Science lectures must be illustrated 

 by lantern slides or experiments if they are 

 to appeal to a large public, and their titles 

 should arrest attention. The chief point, 

 however, is that lectures should deal with 

 recent discoveries or topics which have been 

 mentioned frequently in the daily news- 

 papers. The largest audiences are usually 

 attracted not by descriptive lectures on 

 such subjects as mimicry, the descent of 

 man, prehistoric animals, trade processes, 



and so on, but by those which are concerned 

 with questions of wide economic or socio- 

 logical interest, such as industrial research 

 in America, wireless telegraphy in war, the 

 wages problem, munitions of war, etc. One 

 correspondent says: 



Purely scientific lectures do not attract, how- 

 ever eminent the lecturer. The most attractive 

 lectures are the least scientific. 



5. Bo you attach as much importance to 

 the lecturer as to the subject? 



As much, or more, importance is usu- 

 ally attached to the lecturer as to the sub- 

 ject. Most of the replies are in this sense, 

 and the following are typical of them: 

 "The society does not, but the audience 

 does;" "In order to attract subscribers, 

 the chief importance is attached to the per- 

 sonality and celebrity of the lecturer;" 

 "The lecturer practically determines the 

 audience;" "Undoubtedly, if the lecturer 

 is well known;" "Yes, more, for popular 

 lectures ; " " More to the lecturer, if known : 

 if not known, to the subject." The best 

 combination is, of course, an attractive 

 subject and a celebrated lecturer, and the 

 public soon forms its own estimate of the 

 two factors. "The subject attracts in the 

 first instance, but a poor lecturer would 

 not draw a second time." 



Under the conditions here [Forest Hill, S.E., 

 Horniman Museum], where there is a large popu- 

 lation to draw on, title and subject are probably 

 more important than lecturer. Nevertheless, some 

 lecturers are always fairly sure of a good audi- 

 ence, and a series which begins with lectures by 

 relatively poor lecturers soon suffers a reduction in 

 size of audiences. 



In many cases the lectures are given by 

 members of the staffs of local museums, 

 universities, or other institutions, but this 

 limitation of choice of lecturer and subject 

 soon exhausts the public interested in them. 



6. Are lectures by strangers generally 

 more or less successful than those by local 

 lecturers? 



When the visitor is a celebrated lecturer, 



