[Book Reviews]

Abstract

IT is disappointing that the first words of this report, as in the case of the Rugby Society which we noticed recently, should be a confession of partial failure: “Natural History,” the Preface begins by telling us, “does not flourish at Wellington College ... The chief reason undoubtedly is, that during the past two years the older Fellows—and in particular the Sixth Form—have ignored the existence of the Society altogether.” Judging from what is said at p. 36, the apathy of the older members of the school is owing to some antagonism which exists between the Natural History Society and the Debating Society attached to the school. But, with Mr. Penny, we cannot see that there is any reason why the two societies should be in the slightest degree antagonistic. On the contrary, they might be mutually helpful, both having ultimately the same end in view—to teach the boys to examine, think, and act for themselves. Of course it ought to be remembered what a great innovation a society like that of Wellington College is on the traditional methods of instruction belonging to a school. The work is entirely voluntary, not clearly defined, as in the regular task-work of the school; and the only rewards held out, rewards which it is difficult to get the traditional school-boy to understand and appreciate, are, besides the direct acquisition of knowledge and the pleasure attending it, development of the power of observation, keenness of insight, and general intellectual vigour. A debating society, with all its undoubted advantages, is apt to become a nursery of boyish vanity; the reward of successful speaking is immediate and very sweet to a tyro, and can be obtained without much labour. The work of a Natural History Society involves much plodding patience, with very little glory to follow; the rewards are intangible, invisible, especially to the boys themselves, and it will take the training of a few generations to teach boyish human nature to love knowledge for its own sake. One of the most valuable means to accomplish this purpose in a school is a society like that of Wellington College, and therefore we would counsel those who are anxious for its prosperity not to be discouraged, but to work on so long as they can get any boys to work with them, using all possible means to insure success. We hope the merely local obstacles will be overcome, and that the next report will have a more lightsome beginning; also that it will contain many papers by the boys themselves, nearly the whole of the papers in the present report being by Mr. Penny and Mr. Lambert, and not one by a boy, though we are glad to see that some papers by boys were read at the meetings. The Rev. C. W. Penny, president of the Society, deserves the greatest credit for the interest he di plays in the Society, and the amount of work he does to help on the objects for which it is established. A large number of the papers, full of instruction and interest even to boys, are by him; his predecessor in the presidentship, Mr. Lambert, has also contributed much to make the meetings of the Society attractive and instructive. Appended to the report are pretty full botanical, zoological, and entomological lists.

Third Annual Report of the Wellington College Natural History Society, December 1870 to December 1872.

(Wellington College: George Bishop, 1873).