SCIENCE TEACHING IN SCHOOLS 81 



Huxley's position in the matter is sufficiently indi- 

 cated in a letter to Kingsley (dated November 8, 1866), 

 where, after disclaiming any admiration for Gordon, 

 who is described as, 



"... a sufficiently poor type of small political agitator — and 

 very likely ... a great nuisance to the Governor and other 

 respectable persons," 



he adds : — 



" But that is no reason why he should be condemned, by an 

 absurd tribunal and with a brutal mockery of the forms of 

 justice, for offences with which impartial judges, after a full 

 investigation, declare there is no evidence to show that he was 

 connected" (Life, i, pp. 281-z). 



Huxley was President of Section D in the British 

 Association Meeting at Nottingham this year, and in this 

 capacity he took occasion to speak strongly as to the 

 necessity for organized science teaching in schools, and 

 the proper recognition of science in universities. A 

 paper on the teaching of science in public schools by 

 Dean Farrar lent strong support to the views of Huxley, 

 who expressed his conviction, 



"... that at the present time, the important question for 

 England was not the duration of her coal, but the due compre- 

 hension of the truths of science, and the labours of her scientific 

 men" (Life, i, p. 277). 



The interchange of opinions which took place at 

 Nottingham afterwards bore fruit, for it had something 

 to do with the organization of courses for teachers in 

 training in which Huxley afterwards took a prominent 

 part. 



The publication of Elementary Lessons in Physiology in 



