APRIL 12, 1912] 
or half way through his university course, 
he is not supposed to have any idea of what 
his future is to be—what he is to do in this 
busy world. And his education has been 
given with no reference to whether he is to 
be a doctor, lawyer, engineer or entomolo- 
gist. He has simply drifted with and been 
one in the procession. But between his 
senior year in high school and his entering 
into the university he must pass an exam- 
ination. I have just shown the value of 
this and all other similar examinations in 
forming an estimate of what he really 
knows. In Washington, and possibly, 
though rarely, elsewhere, a pupil is al- 
lowed to specialize in the high school. 
Here in the city we have a technical high 
school and a business high school which, 
although they may not be all that is to be 
desired among even those most responsible 
for their existence, constitute a movement 
in the right direction and should be en- 
couraged both here and elsewhere. 
When, therefore, on coming from the 
high school and presenting himself before 
the university for admission, where for the 
first time he is offered separate courses 
from among which he must make a selec- 
tion, he naturally expects that his efforts 
will, or ought, to be directed along a line 
with what is to be his future occupation; 
what he is to do in future. But he soon 
finds that while he may select his course, 
about the same job lot of instruction will 
be administered as before. 
If he has come to the university of his 
own accord, as is probably the case, he is 
like a vessel with steam up, ready to put 
out to sea. It does not need additional 
force, what it requires is direction—a pilot 
with a firm hand and who understands his 
business. Instead of this, however, the ap- 
plicant will in most, though not all, cases 
find himself at once placed in a mental 
strait jacket, and if it does not fit him 
SCIENCE 
561 
the screws will be applied until he fits the 
jacket. Incisions will be made in his brain 
and a heterogeneous mass of instruction 
forced in. If he can stand the strait 
jacket and hold the instruction in long 
enough to pass his examinations, he will 
be allowed to continue and finally be grad- 
uated with much ado and a great flourish 
of trumpets. If he can not withstand this 
treatment he is sent home in disgrace. 
Mr. Taylor tells us that after he had 
given up all hope of being able to use as 
engineers the men who had graduated and 
gone out from the university, but had been 
obliged.to throw them all overboard until 
they had spent a couple of years outside in 
practical work, he found that there was a 
class going out from these institutions that 
it paid to look over with a view of securing 
material for successful engineers; and this 
was the class that honestly flunked and 
went back home to work. This, to use a 
western mining expression, was found to be 
““ pay dirt.’’ 
As a matter of fact the embryo entomol- 
ogist, on his first admission into the fresh- 
man class, or as soon as he has decided 
upon such a course, should be informed 
that he is there to work; to himself do 
things and that while there will be exam- 
inations he is there to study the science of 
entomology and not the science of passing 
examinations. In order to enable him to 
meet these requirements he should be given 
first that for which there is the greatest 
need, and thereafter he should be provided 
with what he needs, when, and not before, 
his progress requires it, precisely as with 
any other tool or instrument. 
His first requisites will be honesty and 
good judgment. If he does not already 
possess these, he had best stay out of ento- 
mology, or any other science, for that mat- 
ter. His mission, if he succeeds, will be to 
penetrate the unknown and tell his eol- 
