THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S 
WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
No. 39.] 
SCHOOL PRIZES. 
A short time ago our attention was 
specially drawn to this subject, from our 
hearing that an entomologist had first 
had his thoughts turned to the study of 
insect-life by obtaining, as a prize at 
school, the volumes of the ‘ Naturalist’s 
Library’ on “ Butterflies and Moths.” 
We have repeatedly noticed the wide 
circle of readers those volumes of the 
‘ Naturalist’s Library’ have had ; but, in 
nine cases out of ten, we suppose that 
they have either been purchased by those 
who were already entomologically dis- 
posed, or presented to them by some of 
their friends ; however, in the case which 
was brought under our notice, it appeared 
as if the actual origin of the entomo- 
logical tastes of the boy had dated from 
the acquisition of the prize. 
In the abstract, we doubt if prizes at 
all are good things; the spirit of emula- 
tion and rivalry they are sure to en- 
courage is itself a wicked spirit, which 
has afterwards to be cast out; but we 
do not suppose that anything we may 
say upon the subject will put a stop 
to the system, now so long established, 
of “ School Prizes,” and hence, if some 
thousands of books are to be given this 
year to the young of both sexes as 
rewards for good conduct, ability and 
good memory, we trust that those who 
have the selection of the books will 
[Price Id. 
take care that Natural History is duly 
represented amongst them. 
The object of a prize is generally 
two-fold, being intended both as a re- 
ward for past conduct and an incite- 
ment for the future. Viewed only as 
a reward for past conduct, a pencil-case 
or a knife would do just as well as a 
book, but when we look at the effect 
on the future to be produced, the book 
will be treasured and read just because 
it is “a prize,” and therefore any sub- 
ject we wish to instil upon the young 
may be put before them (we had almost 
said insidiously ) to good effect in the 
form of a prize. 
We do not think that the books 
intended for prizes should be of too 
didactic a nature; Johnson’s Dictionary, 
for instance, is a very useful book, but 
as a “ prize,” would be out of place, 
as no one would ever think of reading 
it, — no one perhaps ever having done 
so, except the Irishman, who remarked 
at the end “ that it was very interesting, 
but rather unconnected.” Nay, we know 
of many novels which would be excel- 
lently adapted as prizes, simply because 
they convey much moral and intellectual 
information in a most careful wrapping 
of pleasant reading; not being of the 
number of those that think “ good books 
should be dull” (some, we fancy, reverse 
the order, and say “ dull books must be 
good”), we like a little vivacity and 
energy even in that which is intended 
SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 1857. 
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