November 26, 1886. J 



SCIEJSrCF. 



495 



cester, and the course of instruction includes 

 chemistry, geology, botany, mechanics, veterinary 

 science, forestry, etc. The university has nine 

 professors, the chairs being thus roughly classi- 

 fied : two literature, five science, one music, one 

 law, in all of. which subjects, and in medicine, it 

 has power to confer degrees. The matriculation 

 programme contains many optional subjects, and 

 it would be possible, but not easy, to pass it with- 

 ■out any knowledge of science. The bachelor's de- 

 igree in either faculty involves three years' aca- 

 demical study, with an examination at the end of 

 •each, conducted in the best manner, viz., partly 

 l»y the professors, partly by external examiners. 

 This system obtains also in the Universities of 

 "Victoria and of New South Wales. The coiu'se 

 for science degrees is distinctively gcod, and well 

 arranged. This university opened its degrees to 

 women in 1880, 



In Adelaide, free popular lectures on scientific 

 subjects are given by the university professors, 

 and are very largely attended. The attendance at 

 the courses on physiology was quite remarkable. 



There are one or two scientific bodies or associ- 

 ations, such as the Royal society of South Aus- 

 tralia, but they are all more or less connected 

 with the university. 



The system of state scholarships, enabling the 

 holders to jiass by successive steps from primary 

 school to university, is very extensive, and hold- 

 ers of the ' South Australian scholarship ' pro- 

 ceed to English universities every year. The pub- 

 lic library, museum, and art gallery of South Aus- 

 tralia form one state-aided institution, organized 

 very much on the basis of the typical institution 

 at South Kensington. Its work, however, is 

 mainly literary and artistic, and it is affiliated 

 with the university. 



Victoria. 



In this colony the whole subject of public edu- 

 cation was the subject of a royal commission of 

 inqiiiry, which presented a most valuable report 

 in 1878 (mainly the work of Mr. Charles H, Pear- 

 son, M.A.), containing excellent suggestions for 

 the organization of public instruction as a whole. 

 I have been unable to learn how far these recom- 

 mendations have been carried out, since I have 

 had more difficulty in obtaining recent informa- 

 tion about Victoria than in any other case. 



In the primary schools, geography is a decided 

 feature, but there are no ' object ' or useful 

 knowledge lessons. Of 7,000 children who, in 

 1884, paid for tuition in ' extra subjects,' one- 

 fourth, or 25 per cent, took science if mathematics 

 be included, but only 5.7 per cent if it be excluded. 

 This speaks well for the recognition of mathe- 

 matics as the basis of science. For teachers, 



however, all certificates above a mere ' certificate 

 of competency ' require several subjects, from one- 

 quarter to one-half of which are scientific, and 

 some science is compulsory. 



All secondary education is under the control of 

 private persons and proprietary bodies, usually 

 connected with some religious denomination. 

 There are eight exhibitions yearly, of £35 each for 

 six years, enabling the holder to pass from state 

 schools through certain approved grammar-schools 

 and a university course. 



As the colony owes much of its prosperity to its 

 mines, it is natural to find two excellent schools 

 of mines, — one at Sandhurst (formerly Bendigo), 

 the focus of reef-mining ; the other at Ballarat, 

 the centre of alluvial mining. From a personal 

 inspection of both these, a few years ago, I can 

 speak in the highest terms of their efficiency. 

 On Nov. 29, 1880, I wrote in the visitors' book at 

 Ballarat. " The chief thing apparently required to 

 make the school do even bf-tter work than it is 

 doing, is that its pupils should come to it with 

 some elementary knowledge of the principles of 

 physical science, such as ought to form part of 

 the necessary instruction in the higher classes of 

 every state school." I have since experienced the 

 pleasure of being informed that these few words, 

 wdiich vvere printed and widely circulated in the 

 colony, exercised a most important influence for 

 good upon the school. 



Determined not to be behind South Australia, 

 the colony has started an experimental farm, and 

 is building an agricultural college in Melbourne. 

 There is also a capital industrial and technologi- 

 cal museum, in connection with which lectures 

 are given. 



The University of Melbourne ranks with those 

 of Great Britain. Its magnificent buildings were 

 opened in 1855, and women were admitted in 1880. 

 The matriculation examination embraces fourteen 

 subjects, six of which are scientific (including 

 mathematics) ; but I regret to say that the uni- 

 versity gives no encouragement to the study of 

 science, since a candidate may matriculate with- 

 out passing in either of these six, and, although 

 there are literary honors lists, there are no science 

 honors lists except in mathematics. Science iinds 

 a very subordinate place in the arts degree, and 

 degrees in engineering have lately been instituted. 

 Practically all the teaching of natural science in 

 the university is confined to the medical school, 

 one-third of the total number of degrees granted 

 being medical, and one-half arts, the remainder 

 laws. The Melbourne observatory, the Melbourne 

 botanic gardens, and the Melbourne public library 

 are all well known by repute to Englishmen, 

 The zoological garden is only recently set on 



