A Botanical Curriculum . 
5 
in a position to do it , but there could be no objection, indeed it would 
be an advantage, that a competent independent botanist should be 
associated with the examiner as a sort of moderator, to modify any 
eccentricities which might appear in his method of conducting the 
examination. The standard might be made as high as was thought 
fit—in the opinion of the present writer the higher, in reason, the 
better; we do not want men with the Honours degrees in science of 
our great Universities who have proved themselves unable to take 
the fullest advantage of the opportunities they would have under 
such a system as we have outlined. What has been written seems 
to apply equally well to any branch of natural science, though it is 
the result of experience gained mainly by the learning and teaching 
of Botany. 
Let us now therefore briefly summarise the scientific curriculum 
which would obtain in our ideal University. 
For the first two years after matriculation the student of 
natural science would be engaged in elementary work. He would 
attend two courses in each year, the first year being compulsorily 
devoted to chemistry and physics. In his second year he would 
have a choice of two among the other branches of natural science. 
The regular set work would be held on the mornings of the days 
only, but students would always be encouraged to come in the 
afternoons also, and there would always be a demonstrator ready to 
give any assistance in his power. The lectures would be delivered, 
or the “heuristic” class conducted, by the chief Professor himself. 
At the end of each year an examination would be held at which 
each candidate would take the two subjects he had been working at 
during the year. The pass standard should not be lower than 50 Q / o 
of the marks obtainable. On passing the second of these exami¬ 
nations the student might well be granted a Pass degree in Science. 
If he aspired to an Honours degree he would go directly during his 
third year into the class of one of the advanced teachers of his 
chosen subject, which would take all his time for one or two terms, 
and by the end of his fourth year, when he would have taken say 
four courses in his chosen (main) subject, and one in a subsidiary 
subject, he would, if he had passed all his examinations, be entitled 
to his degree. If he failed in any of these—or in other words if he 
failed to give satisfactory evidence of solid and successful work—he 
would have to try again till he had obtained the proper number of 
certificates. 
Such a scheme is certainly based on sound lines, and it seems 
