Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 11.djvu/732

712 Baltimore are Prof. Huxley's few words of advice on "buildings." "Get an honest bricklayer, and make him build you just such rooms as you really want, leaving ample space for extension." When

The South Kensington lecture contains some strong pleading for the study of Biology, as a subject of deep importance to the community. Among other illustrations of its importance it is urged that thereby alone are men able to form something like a rational conception of what constitutes valuable criticism of the teachings of biologists. "Brilliant articles" are from time to time written by "paper-philosophers" devoid of even the elements of biological knowledge, and the teachings of biologists are demolished, while the weathercock heads among us are. Prof. Huxley tells us, much exercised by the "winds of doctrine" let loose in the said articles. Turning, however, to his favorite storehouse of metaphor, he finds that the brilliancy of the writers "is like the light given out by the crackling of thorns under a pot, of which Solomon speaks." Solomon makes use of the-image for purposes of comparison, but Prof. Huxley politely abstains from proceeding further into detail.

The study of Biology which is here advocated is practical study of the actual phenomena presented by plants and animals.

The rationale of the demand for practical teaching in all branches of science—a demand to which it is exceedingly difficult to get those who have the direction of educational institutions in this country to accede—has never been stated with more simple force than in the above extract.

Like all his writings, this last volume by Prof. Huxley presents