13 



ON THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF A MOEE GENEEAL. 



INTEREST IN SCIENTIFIC PURSUITS. 



By Wm. Benson. 



The object of tliis short paper is to offer a suggestion for 

 the consideration of this Society. 



It is a very simple one, and perhaps ought rather to be 

 made to the Council privately than be brought forward in a 

 general meeting. But thei'e seemed some advantage to be 

 gained by mentioning it here, inasmuch as an opportunity 

 would be afforded for ascertaining how far other members 

 coincide in the views expressed. 



Our Society unquestionably has rendered, and is now 

 rendering, practical and substantial benefits to the colony at 

 large, but I think it may be made of greater use, and may 

 influence a still wider circle than is at present the case. 



Also with regard to its meetings I venture to think that 

 improvement is possible, which would increase their general 

 interest and value. 



There are amongst our members two classes — first our 

 savants, or specialists, all more or less entitled to speak with 

 authority on some particular branch of scientific enquiry ; and 

 secondly, there are those who possess a general acquaint- 

 ance with and taste for such matters, but who have not 

 thoroughly studied any special subject. It is as one of the 

 latter class, and in their primary interest that I speak, having 

 heard many say that they do not care to attend these meetings 

 because the papers read are often abstruse, fragmentary and 

 dry. 



It is obvious that this want of interest arises from our want 

 of knowledge ; our previous acquaintance with the special 

 subject brought forward has been to slight to enable us 

 perfectly to follow the reader. The fault very rarely rests 

 with him, for it is almost impossible briefly to handle in 

 detail any scientific topic in a manner that can be readily 

 comprehended by an unj)repared hearer. Even the language 

 is often strange, for diffuseness can only be avoided by the 

 free iise of technical and unfamiliar words. 



So far as the meetings of the Royal Society are intended 

 for the interchange of notes upon new discoveries between 

 savants and specialists only, the reading of stich papers is a 

 natural and proper course, though it may still be questionable 

 whether those who merely hear a technical paper read gam 

 as full a knowledge of its contents as they would by studying 

 it at leisure in the Society's printed proceedings. 



