on the study of zoology-第4部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


strive　to　recover　yourself；　the　speaker　has　passed　on　to　something
else。

The　practice　I　have　adopted　of　late　years；　in　lecturing　to　students；　is
to　condense　the　substance　of　the　hour's　discourse　into　a　few　dry
propositions；　which　are　read　slowly　and　taken　down　from　dictation；　the
reading　of　each　being　followed　by　a　free　commentary　expanding　and
illustrating　the　proposition；　explaining　terms；　and　removing　any
difficulties　that　may　be　attackable　in　that　way；　by　diagrams　made
roughly；　and　seen　to　grow　under　the　lecturer's　hand。　In　this　manner
you；　at　any　rate；　insure　the　co…operation　of　the　student　to　a　certain
extent。　　He　cannot　leave　the　lecture…room　entirely　empty　if　the　taking
of　notes　is　enforced；　and　a　student　must　be　preternaturally　dull　and
mechanical；　if　he　can　take　notes　and　hear　them　properly　explained；　and
yet　learn　nothing。

What　books　shall　I　read？　is　a　question　constantly　put　by　the　student　to
the　teacher。　　My　reply　usually　is；　〃None：　write　your　notes　out
carefully　and　fully；　strive　to　understand　them　thoroughly；　come　to　me
for　the　explanation　of　anything　you　cannot　understand；　and　I　would
rather　you　did　not　distract　your　mind　by　reading。〃　　A　properly　composed
course　of　lectures　ought　to　contain　fully　as　much　matter　as　a　student
can　assimilate　in　the　time　occupied　by　its　delivery；　and　the　teacher
should　always　recollect　that　his　business　is　to　feed；　and　not　to　cram
the　intellect。　　Indeed；　I　believe　that　a　student　who　gains　from　a　course
of　lectures　the　simple　habit　of　concentrating　his　attention　upon　a
definitely　limited　series　of　facts；　until　they　are　thoroughly　mastered；
has　made　a　step　of　immeasurable　importance。

But；　however　good　lectures　may　be；　and　however　extensive　the　course　of
reading　by　which　they　are　followed　up；　they　are　but　accessories　to　the
great　instrument　of　scientific　teachingdemonstration。　　If　I　insist
unweariedly；　nay　fanatically；　upon　the　importance　of　physical　science
as　an　educational　agent；　it　is　because　the　study　of　any　branch　of
science；　if　properly　conducted；　appears　to　me　to　fill　up　a　void　left　by
all　other　means　of　education。　　I　have　the　greatest　respect　and　love　for
literature；　nothing　would　grieve　me　more　than　to　see　literary　training
other　than　a　very　prominent　branch　of　education：　indeed；　I　wish　that
real　literary　discipline　were　far　more　attended　to　than　it　is；　but　I
cannot　shut　my　eyes　to　the　fact；　that　there　is　a　vast　difference
between　men　who　have　had　a　purely　literary；　and　those　who　have　had　a
sound　scientific；　training。

Seeking　for　the　cause　of　this　difference；　I　imagine　I　can　find　it　in　the
fact　that；　in　the　world　of　letters；　learning　and　knowledge　are　one；　and
books　are　the　source　of　both；　whereas　in　science；　as　in　life；　learning
and　knowledge　are　distinct；　and　the　study　of　things；　and　not　of　books；
is　the　source　of　the　latter。

All　that　literature　has　to　bestow　may　be　obtained　by　reading　and　by
practical　exercise　in　writing　and　in　speaking；　but　I　do　not　exaggerate
when　I　say；　that　none　of　the　best　gifts　of　science　are　to　be　won　by
these　means。　　On　the　contrary；　the　great　benefit　which　a　scientific
education　bestows；　whether　as　training　or　as　knowledge；　is　dependent
upon　the　extent　to　which　the　mind　of　the　student　is　brought　into
immediate　contact　with　factsupon　the　degree　to　which　he　learns　the
habit　of　appealing　directly　to　Nature；　and　of　acquiring　through　his
senses　concrete　images　of　those　properties　of　things；　which　are；　and
always　will　be；　but　approximatively　expressed　in　human　language。　　Our
way　of　looking　at　Nature；　and　of　speaking　about　her；　varies　from　year
to　year；　but　a　fact　once　seen；　a　relation　of　cause　and　effect；　once
demonstratively　apprehended；　are　possessions　which　neither　change　nor
pass　away；　but；　on　the　contrary；　form　fixed　centres；　about　which　other
truths　aggregate　by　natural　affinity。

Therefore；　the　great　business　of　the　scientific　teacher　is；　to　imprint
the　fundamental；　irrefragable　facts　of　his　science；　not　only　by　words
upon　the　mind；　but　by　sensible　impressions　upon　the　eye；　and　ear；　and
touch　of　the　student；　in　so　complete　a　manner；　that　every　term　used；　or
law　enunciated；　should　afterwards　call　up　vivid　images　of　the　particular
structural；　or　other；　facts　which　furnished　the　demonstration　of　the
law；　or　the　illustration　of　the　term。

Now　this　important　operation　can　only　be　achieved　by　constant
demonstration；　which　may　take　place　to　a　certain　imperfect　extent
during　a　lecture；　but　which　ought　also　to　be　carried　on　independently；
and　which　should　be　addressed　to　each　individual　student；　the　teacher
endeavouring；　not　so　much　to　show　a　thing　to　the　learner；　as　to　make　him
see　it　for　himself。

I　am　well　aware　that　there　are　great　practical　difficulties　in　the　way
of　effectual　zoological　demonstrations。　　The　dissection　of　animals　is
not　altogether　pleasant；　and　requires　much　time；　nor　is　it　easy　to
secure　an　adequate　supply　of　the　needful　specimens。　　The　botanist　has
here　a　great　advantage；　his　specimens　are　easily　obtained；　are　clean
and　wholesome；　and　can　be　dissected　in　a　private　house　as　well　as
anywhere　else；　and　hence；　I　believe；　the　fact；　that　botany　is　so　much
more　readily　and　better　taught　than　its　sister　science。　　But；　be　it
difficult　or　be　it　easy；　if　zoological　science　is　to　be　properly
studied；　demonstration；　and；　consequently；　dissection；　must　be　had。
Without　it；　no　man　can　have　a　really　sound　knowledge　of　animal
organization。

A　good　deal　may　be　done；　however；　without　actual　dissection　on　the
student's　part；　by　demonstration　upon　specimens　and　preparations；　and
in　all　probability　it　would　not　be　very　difficult；　were　the　demand
sufficient；　to　organize　collections　of　such　objects；　sufficient　for　all
the　purposes　of　elementary　teaching；　at　a　comparatively　cheap　rate。
Even　without　these；　much　might　be　effected；　if　the　zoological
collections；　which　are　open　to　the　public；　were　arranged　according　to
what　has　been　termed　the　〃typical　principle〃；　that　is　to　say；　if　the
specimens　exposed　to　public　view　were　so　selected　that　the　public　could
learn　something　from　them；　instead　of　being；　as　at　present；　merely
confused　by　their　multiplicity。　　For　example；　the　grand　ornithological
gallery　at　the　British　Museum　contains　between　two　and　three　thousand
species　of　birds；　and　sometimes　five　or　six　specimens　of　a　species。
They　are　very　pretty　to　look　at；　and　some　of　the　cases　are；　indeed；
splendid；　but　I　will　undertake　to　say；　that　no　man　but　a　professed
ornithologist　has　ever　gathered　much　information　from　the　collection。
Certainly；　no　one　of　the　tens　of　thousands　of　the　general　public　who
have　walked　through　that　gallery　ever　knew　more　about　the　essential
peculiarities　of　birds　when　he　left　the　gallery　than　when　he　entered
it。　　But　if；　somewhere　in　that　vast　hall；　there　were　a　few　preparations；
exemplifying　the　leading　structural　peculiarities　and　the　mode　of
development　of　a　common　fowl；　if　the　types　of　the　genera；　the　leading
modifications　in　the　skeleton；　in　the　plumage　at　various　ages；　in　the
mode　of　nidification；　and　the　like；　among　birds；　were　displayed；　and　if
the　other　specimens　were　put　away　in　a　place　where　the　men　of　science；
to　whom　they　are　alone　useful；　could　have　free　access　to　them；　I　can
conceive　that　this　collection　might　become　a　great　instrument　of
scientific　education。

The　last　implement　of　the　teacher　to　which　I　have　adverted　is
examinationa　means　of　education　now　so　thoroughly　understood　that　I
need　hardly　enlarge　upon　it。　　I　hold　that　both　written　and　oral
examinations　are　indispensable；　and；　by　requiring　the　description　of
specimens；　they　may　be　made　to　supplement　demonstration。

Such　is　the　fullest　reply　the　time　at　my　disposal　will　allow　me　to　give
to　the　questionhow　may　a　knowledge　of　zoology　be　best　acquired　and
communicated？

But　there　is　a　previous　question　which　may　be　moved；　and　which；　in　fact；
I　know　many　are　inclined　to　move。　　It　is　the　question；　why　should
training　masters　be　encouraged　to　acquire　a　knowledge　of　this；　or　any
other　branch　of　physical　science？　　What　is　the　use；　it　is　said；　of
attempting　to　make　physical　science　a　branch　of　primary　education？　　Is
it　not　probable　that　teachers；　in　pursuing　such　studies；　will　be　led
astray　from　the　acquirement　of　more　important　but　less　attractive
knowledge？　　And；　even　if　they　can　learn　something　of　science　without
prejudice　to　their　usefulness；　what　is　the　good　of　their　attempting　to
instil　that　knowledge　into　boys　whose　real　business　is　the　acquisition
of　reading；　writing；　and　arithmetic？

These　questions　are；　and　will　be；　very　commonly　asked；　for　they　arise
from　that　profound　ignorance　of　the　value　and　true　position　of　physical
science；　which　infests　the　minds　of　the　most　highly　educated　and
intelligent　classes　of　the　community。　　But　if　I　did　not　feel　well
assured　that　they　are　capable　of　being　easily　and　satisfactorily
answered；　that　they　have　been　answered　over　and　over　again；　and　that
the　time　will　come　when　men　of　liberal　education　will　blush　to　raise
such　questions；I　should　be　ashamed　of　my　position　here　to…night。
Without　doubt；　it　is　your　great　and　very　important　function　to　carry
out　elementary　education；　without　question；　anything　that　should
interfere　with　the　faithful　fulfilment　of　that　duty　on　your　part　would
be　a　great　evil；　and　if　I　thought　that　your　acquirement　of　the　elements
of　physical　science；　and　your　communication　of　those　elements　to　your
pupils；　involved　any　sort　of　interference　with　your　proper　duties；　I
should　be　the　first　person　to　protest　against　your　being　encouraged　to
do　anything　of　the　kind。

But　is　it　true　that　the　acquisition　of　such　a　knowledge　of　science　as　is
proposed；　and　the　communication　of　that　knowledge；　are　calculated　to
weaken　your　usefulness？　　Or　may　I　not　rather　ask；　is　it　possible　for
you　to　discharge　your　functions　properly　without　these　aids？

What　is　the　purpose　of　primary　intellectual　education？　　I　apprehend　that
its　first　object　is　to　train　the　young　in　the　use　of　those　tools
wherewith　men　extract　knowledge　from　the　ever…shifting　succession　of
phenomena　which　pass　before　their　eyes；　and　that　its　second　object　is
to　inform　them　of　the　fundamental　laws　which　have　b