140 JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 
between men and women. But, in spite of all that has been 
said, Professor Brooks is entitled to the thanks of all students of 
biology for his clear statement of the problem, and the many 
suggestive fields for investigation here opened. The student of 
heredity will find in this book just what he needs to give him a 
clear conception of how the problem is to be attacked. The 
book is one of remarkable ability. The way in which apparently 
disconnected series of phenomena are brought together and 
shown to be special cases of one general principle, is indeed 
masterly. Even if every single proposition of the hypothesis 
should prove to be without foundation, and the hypothesis en- 
tirely untenable, Professor Brooks must always be credited with 
having made a most important step inadvance. Assuming that 
the problem of heredity is at all capable of solution, some such 
preliminary clearing of the field is a necessity. If different ob- 
servers will devote their energies to following up the various 
lines of inquiry which Professor Brooks has so ably suggested, 
we may be sure of most valuable and fruitful additions to our 
knowledge. To use Mr. Lewis’s words, “ Even should the hypo- 
thesis prove a will-o’-wisp, it is worth following, if we follow cir- 
cumspectly, for it hovers over lands where we may find valuable 
material. Asan hypothesis, it so links together wide classes 
of facts that it may bea clue to great discoveries.” 
— 
MEETINGS. OF _SOCI EADIE S. 
i es 
PHILOSOPHICAL INSTITUTE OF CANTERBUR®, 
Christchurch, 3rd April. 1884.—R. W. Fereday, Esq., President, 
in the chair. 
New member—Mr. Grayson. 
Mr. Blair read a paper on ‘ Technical Education,” which 
he first remarked was highly necessary in trades and professions, 
The lack of it in England had been shown by Exhibitions, and it 
was seen that museums and schools were needed to remedy the 
defect. In an interesting account of the science and art classes 
established after the great Exhibition, he mentioned that in 1884 
they cost £410,690, and that through them all classes of the nation 
had opportunities for instruction of the best kind. Mr. Blair’s 
concluding remarks were on the methods to be pursued in render- 
ing technical education more popular, and many interesting details 
of the British, South Kensington, and other Home Museums were 
given, 
Mr. A. W. Purnell, who had prepared a paper on the same 
subject, which, however, covered different ground, began by re- 
marking that the recent discussions on the Public Library reminded 
people that twelve years ago the Provincial Council had provided 
for the endowment of a School of Technical Science. No such 
school had been founded, nor had attempts been made in that 
direction, and he thought it was time to try to get technical schools 
in Christchurch. Examining our present system of education, he 
