1876.] 
need scarcely say that when so eminent an authority as Mr. 
Sorby, who can look back on “ nearly thirty years of almost 
uninterrupted practical scientific investigation,” analyses, as 
it were, the processes by which scientific discoveries are 
made, and shows their general incompatibility with any 
distracting pursuit or avocation, he is entitled to a respectful 
hearing. Almost in all points we can endorse his views 
from our own experience. “ For the successful prosecution 
of original enquiry,” he declares, “ two of the most essential 
requisites are abundance of time for continuous and ex- 
tended experiments, and freedom from all those disturbing 
cares and engagements which either interrupt the experi- 
ments at critical times or so occupy the attention as to 
prevent the mind from properly digesting the results and 
deducing from them all the conclusions to which they 
should lead the investigator. Anyone who has had only a 
very small amount of experience in original research must 
have often been struck with the length of time necessary to 
arrive at a comparatively small result. Many experiments 
cannot possibly be made to go on in any other than their 
own slow way. Any attempt to hasten them would probably 
result in a complete loss of all the time spent over some 
previous part of the process, or of material which could not 
be replaced ; and even with every care this loss cannot always 
be avoided.” 
But it is not merely the absolute amount of time which is 
the main point. There is here a most important distinction 
between the student of books and the student of things , and 
the difficulty falls upon the latter. The reader, suppose he 
has only a part of his time at his own disposal, can still 
leave his books ready, open if he prefers it, and can thus 
usefully fill up even portions of time of a few minutes 
duration. Not so the student of things. If he begins an 
experiment he must be able to attend to it at the precise 
moment required, or his operations will end merely in 
disaster. On returning he will find solutions evaporated to 
dryness, tubes or retorts cracked, temperatures that have 
exceeded the desired point. The unwatched experiment has 
led to absolutely nothing but loss of labour and material. 
Or say he is engaged in biological research— delicate tissues 
awaiting examination have entered into decomposition, 
phenomena to be observed have taken place in his absence 
and have not been recorded. Sometimes the golden moment 
to be snatched at may depend upon the weather ; for the 
solution of some problem the student may require bright 
sun-light, or perhaps moon-light. He may wait for days, 
VOL* VI* (N.S.) 2S 
