110 
THE SUBSTITUTE. 
to themselves we have endea- 
voured to point out, there would 
result the advantage to Science 
that so many more persons being 
able to discriminate and point out 
(very different things by the way) 
variations in form and structure, 
the observations they made would 
be serviceable in verifying facts 
already noted, or in detecting new 
ones, and would have a value that 
the enquiries of a less accurate set 
of men do not and cannot possess. 
Let our correspondent’s proceed- 
ings, then, serve as a model for the 
manner in which collectors of in- 
sects should set to work at the 
science of their subject. A hon& 
A’dccasein point like this, showing 
how the thing has been done, is 
better than a hundred discourses 
how it might be done. It is true 
that, with several Orders, the want 
of cheap and good Manuals of 
descriptions would be much felt, 
but we have faith enough in 
earnestness and perseverance to 
believe that if a certain number of 
men will a thing, that tl)ing can 
be accomplLshed. Only let the 
demand for these books come, and 
it will be supplied. 
Ur. J. E. Gray, of the British 
Museum, has printed a letter 
(copied in ‘ The Literary Gazette’ 
of Nov. 8tli) in answer to the 
question brought forward at the 
last meeting of the British Asso- 
ciation for the Advancement of 
Science, “ Whether any measures 
could be adopted by the Govern- 
ment or Parliament that would 
improve the position of Science 
and its cultivators ?” This letter 
is an able exposition of the posi- 
tion of those who cultivate Science 
Irom a love of it, but are obliged 
to get a living by their labours ; 
and while the author is opposed to 
a general endowment of Science 
by the Government, he does not 
hiil to urge an adequate payment 
of the scientific men in the service 
of the nation. We can only find 
room for the concluding para- 
graph. “We frequently bear the 
complaint made, that among the 
students of Science there are but 
few who take up its pursuit with 
earnestness and devotion, the great 
majority contenting themselves 
with a smattering ; and also that 
the scientific professorships are 
not remunerating. Both these cir- 
cumstances are the natural result, 
as it appears to me, of the evil 
to which I am anxious to direct 
attention. How can it be expected 
that young men should pay for 
instruction, and devote their whole 
attention to qualify themselves in 
a study, the remuneration for 
which (in the few official situations 
connected with it) is vastly inferior 
to what may be acquired by the 
devotion of much less time and 
talent to almost any other kind of 
occupation ? The remedy lies, not 
in increasing the number of pro- 
fessors, but in fairly recompensing 
the holders of scientific offices, 
and thereby rendering those posi- 
tions desirable as a means of 
securing a rc.spectable living.” 
