THE REV. PROFESSOR J. S. HENSLOW AS ECOLOGIST. 223 



our observations can only perceive the results, but not the line of 

 development which has produced them." 



Though the word " Ecology " was not invented in the first half of 

 the nineteenth century, the spirit of it, or the " study of plants at 

 home " we thus see, was there, and underlay my father's view of the 

 true method of learning, as well as teaching the science. In the 

 introduction to his Practical Lessons on Botany (1858) he wrote: 

 " In order to employ botany as a strictly educational weapon we must 

 not confine ourselves to telling children the names of plants, how they 

 may be grouped, what properties they possess, &c. We must exact 

 the requisite attention to the structure of plants. This demands a 

 personal observation of facts. A decided mental effort is required to 

 derive just inferences from them in regard to their relationships. Ex- 

 perience has satisfied me that Structural Botany, or Morphology, may 

 be more conveniently and extensively employed than any other 

 branch of natural science for strengthening the observant faculties 

 and expanding the reasoning powers of children in all classes of 

 society. " 



Darwin's ecological works on the fertilization of orchids, climbing 

 plants, insectivorous plants, &c., had not been written, so the stimulus 

 of these invaluable books was wanting ; but my father never missed an 

 opportunity of illustrating his teaching with the connexions between 

 plants and their surroundings, whenever available, such as the 

 injurious effects of the yellow-rattle parasitic upon grass and of fungi 

 attacking wheat, &c. 



In 1848 the Ipswich Museum was opened, the Eev. W. Kirby 

 being President, when my father was asked to give the inaugural 

 address. His lecture is full of practical advice to all who really wish 

 to know something of science, to abolish superstitions and 'a priori 

 assumptions, &c. The importance of science was driven home by 

 applications of its practical uses. He pointed out the profound ignor- 

 ance that prevailed at that time not only among the illiterate but others. 

 Thus on the first occasion of the meeting of the British Association 

 being held at Oxford in 1844, the following was published in a review 

 by a chemical professor : * * Few will forget who were present at the 

 first exhibition of one of the most wonderful discoveries of the age 

 (namely, the extracting of electric fire from cold iron by the distant 

 influence of the loadstone) the effect which was produced by the reply 

 of one of the heads of houses, now no more, to the eminent philosopher 

 who was specially communicating it to him. ' I am sorry for it, sir; 

 we have had enough of late of incendiary doings.' " 



Besides botany my father studied the habits of insects, as wasps 

 and hornets. He made two large collections, one being now in the 

 museum of the Philosophical Society of Cambridge, the other he 

 gave to Sir J. D. Hooker. He kept in cages a number of harvest mice 

 and two huge toads. It was my delight as a boy to feed these with 

 captures in a butterfly net from the lawn, sweeping it over the unmown 

 grass. 



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