470 
SOME AC[COUNT OF A VISIT TO KNOWSLEY. 
species only, and consequently a fundamental faculty. Because one may have 
seen a Wolf and a Cat, animals which do not live habitually in a state of union, 
to be always together, we are not obliged, as it seems to me, therefore to conclude 
that such is the ordinary state of those animals. It is not surprising that, living 
isolated, two animals of the same species become attached so far as to remain to¬ 
gether, but in order to make the observation conclusive, it would be necessary 
that the Wolf and Wild Cat had lived in a state of union, though surrounded by 
several animals of the same species. 
SOME ACCOUNT OF A VISIT TO KNOWSLEY, THE SEAT OF 
THE EARL OF DERBY. 
By a Member of the British Association. 
As there was no meeting of the Natural History Section on Thursday, at the 
late meeting of the British Association, I determined, with many others, to avail 
myself of the Earl of Derby’s liberality to the Members of the Association, by 
visiting his collections. This we were enabled to do by obtaining a ticket of 
admission from the Chairman or one of the Committee of the Natural History 
Section. A party consisting of several eminent naturalists—in fact the ^majority 
of the Members of the Committee of the Section, the names of whom, I per¬ 
ceive, are given in the last number of The Naturalist^ —(p. 424)—started in the 
morning, at 10 o’clock; but the weather was exceedingly wet, and prevented the 
attendance of many more. The mode of conveyance was by the rail-way, which 
passes within three miles of Knowsley. I was not fortunate enough to be one cf 
their number, for the hours of starting are punctually observed by the trains on 
the rail-way, and though I was but a few minutes too late, the party were un¬ 
doubtedly nearly at their journey’s end when I arrived at the station. As the rain 
descended very fast, I hardly regretted my absence from them. However, at 
noon it cleared up, and I again repaired to the rail-way station, and started for 
Knowsley. 
On alighting I found I had several companions on the road making for the same 
destination. Without the formalities of introductions w^e were all soon known to 
each other, and I found in my fellow-travellers some of the ardent and devoted 
naturalists whose names had long been familiar to my ears and eyes, but with whom 
for the first time I had the pleasure of conversing. This alone is a strong recom¬ 
mendation of the British Association, that it brings into close contact men of kindred 
minds, and offers to the student of science the example of eminent men, and his 
intercourse with them a strong inducement to follow the course he has begun. 
