Introductory Lecture. ]49 



be. The student who has counted and compared the legs of 

 a fly and a spider, and noticed the resemblance between the 

 segmentation of a centipede and of a lay worm, is further ad- 

 vanced in knowledge of the characters of the great articulate 

 group, than he who can repeat whole pages of definition on 

 the subject by heart, and yet would be exceedingly embar- 

 rassed were he to be presented with a cockchafer, and called 

 upon to point out those peculiarities in its external organiza- 

 tion that distinguish it as an insect. 



Many a reader of geological treatises will tell you con- 

 fidently how the world was made, yet be at his wits' end if re- 

 quested to name and define specimens of the rocks which he 

 would meet with in situ were he to walk from this class-room 

 to the summit of Arthur's seat. I remember some years ago, 

 having a painful interview with a modest and intelligent per- 

 son, who on account of testimonials and undoubted hard read- 

 ing, had been appointed to the office of naturalist and geologist 

 in an important foreign expedition. No man could have passed 

 a better oral or written examination upon the sciences required 

 of him, but unluckily all his knowledge of them had been 

 derived from books. He was utterly adrift when asked how 

 he would go to work when he arrived at the scene of his in- 

 tended labours, and what tools he would use. Still more so 

 when called upon to name a series of specimens of objects 

 with which he would probably have to institute his first com- 

 parison. This gentleman, in no spirit of petulance or despair, 

 but simply through an honest sense of his inability to fulfil the 

 task required of him, resigned his mission at once. 



Now, I would earnestly urge on every student of this class 

 the necessity of exercising himself frequently in observation 

 of natural objects. My teaching, were it to be as perfect as 

 my utmost ambition would desire, would be of little avail, 

 unless you use your own eyes. Above everything go to the 

 fields, and the seaside. You could not be more favourably 

 situate for out-of-door study than you are here. In a huge 

 metropolis such as London, or even Paris, to make field ob- 

 servations, is to give up entire days to the work. But here 

 the healthy exercise which all of you ought to take, the 

 invigorating stroll around our beautiful neighbourhood, may 



