26 ’ PRESIDENTS ADDRESS, 
Judging from my experience as an examiner, I should say that 
by far the largest majority of the candidates who present them- 
selves for the Matriculation, Public, and similar Examinations, in 
science, have not only never performed any of the most elementary 
experiments for themselves, but have not even seen them performed 
nor the instruments which they often glibly enough describe from 
books ; and they would probably be dumbfounded if the simplest 
piece of apparatus itself were placed before them, and they were 
asked to perform an experiment with it. 
In my experience it is no uncommon thing for a candidate to 
reproduce the book description of a common rock, mineral or 
fossil, but fail to recognise the same when the actual thing itself 
is placed before him for description. He has perhaps described a 
piece of granite correctly, according to the book or his teacher, but 
has failed to recognize a common and characteristic specimen of 
it when placed before him at the same time for recognition, 
although allowed ample time to examine it minutely. 
It is not instruction of that kind which is required—that is 
merely cram, and of a bad kind; it is the teaching which is at 
fault, not the scholar’s want of capacity; he has probably done 
his best, and if he had received real instruction, would have gained 
real knowledge, and not the false half-knowledge referred to. 
Until this is remedied, we cannot hope for very much progress 
in primary scientific education. 
As at home, a2 certain minimum compulsory number of experi- 
mental illustrations should be given by the teacher, when the 
knowledge imparted, although smaller in amount, 2.é. CoVerIng less 
ground, would be of real value as far as it goes. 
There are several drawbacks to the pursuit of science, especially 
in the Colonies, which deter many from taking a degree in science 
instead of in arts. One is the fact that; it is easier for a lad who 
has had the ordinary school education to take a degree in arts, 
for which he has already done much of the work, than in natural 
science subjects, which are probably quite new to him, and another 
