400 SCIENCE^TEACHING : EXAMINATIONS 
criticisms and the advice given in a letter dated February 3, 
1857, to Harve}^ who in November 1856, being newly appointed 
to the Botanical chair at Dublin, consulted him as to the 
best scheme of lecturing. 
The essence of this advice, based on experience as examiner, 
is to give the students a moderate amount of matter, very 
thoroughly ; teaching through mind and eye and hand, first 
by clear explanation of fundamentals with three or four 
examples of each, and exact definition of essential terms ; 
next by big diagi'ams keeping these chosen examples and exact 
definitions always before the men's eyes, then by teaching 
the men to dissect and draw, examining them with specimens, 
as Sir William Hooker used to do, in the second half of each 
lecturing hour. 
If ever I lectured on Botany to Medical students and 
others, I would not give half the matter others do. 
Whatever you do, strive to be U7ider the mark in amount 
of what yon teach, and over it in well illustrating what you 
mean. 
Never forget that the men have had no elementary 
training, and come to you absolutely unfit to take up the 
study of Botany, and keep the elements always in view. 
Use as few terms as you possibly can, never using one in 
two senses, or two for one purpose. I never get a man who 
can give me a straightforward answer as to what a seed, a 
fruit, or an ovule is. [The answer is given in a] sort of un- 
systematic, illogical fashion, showing that those who know 
what a seed is have no precise notion of it. 
As to the ever repeated insistence on the men knowing 
perfectly the definition of terms employed, such as analogy, 
affinity, homology, species, 
if any one objects, tell those ^^ho know them that they 
need not look at them, but that in a recent London Exam., 
out of 45 members of the 3 Colleges of Surgeons examined, 
not 5 could give a logical, accurate definition of any 5 or 
more of these terms, and many of none ! and that without 
them a right knowledge of any branch of Nat. Hist, is 
impossible. 
