480 
Encouragement of Scientific Research. [October, 
if he had held, for instance, an emeritus professorship. John 
DaUon maintained himself during a great part of his life by 
teaching the elements of mathematics. Surely no one can 
deny that every hour of his time thus occupied was an hour 
withdrawn from original physical and chemical research. If, 
indeed, scientific research is best carried on in the intervals 
of business, it is strangely unlike all other human pursuits. 
We hesitate, as a rule, to intrust anything of moment to the 
mere amateur. 
We distrust the man who tries to combine even two me- 
chanical trades of a nearly allied nature. We quote the old 
proverb about the “ Jack of all trades and master of none.” 
We admit that “ no man can serve two masters.” Yet we 
are some of us unreasonable enough to expedb that biology, 
physics, chemistry may be successfully cultivated, or even 
best cultivated, in the scanty leisure of a man with a body 
more or less wearied and a mind more or less distracted with 
other thoughts, cares, and anxieties ! Surely at the bottom 
of all this must lie the notion that science is after all a very 
paltry matter, not requiring for its successful pursuit any 
great amount of time, thought, attention, or energy. Yet at 
the same time, with an inconsistency perfectly refreshing to 
witness, we often suspeCt and distrust the professional man, 
or man of business, if we have reason to believe that he has 
a literary or scientific “ hobby.” We fear lest his researches 
should interfere with the due discharge of his business avo- 
cations. Whether his business may not rather interfere 
with the effective pursuit of his scientific investigation we 
never ask, such a matter being, we presume, unworthy our 
consideration. Says the work before us — “ I know very well 
that some who could do admirable service to literature or 
science, and have accumulated abundant and valuable mate- 
rial, are restrained from making it of general use by publi- 
cation from the knowledge of the faCt that the public would 
not generally patronise a professional man who, as they say, 
has a hobby. To some extent, no doubt, this is a reasonable 
apprehension. I knew a case where a provincial medical 
man lost a valuable appointment which he had held for 
some years mainly because he had endeavoured to promote 
the study of geology in one of the finest geological districts 
in the whole country.” With this quotation we must intro- 
duce the reader to an Essay on “ Unencumbered Research : 
a Personal Experience,” forming a portion of the work before 
us. In this paper Mr. H. C. Sorby ably, but very temper- 
ately, discusses the mistaken opinion which we are now 
examining in the light of his own private experience. We 
