III.] ORIGIN OF TASTE FOR SCIEA7CE. 147
list, and those who were, admitted of being sorted under other titles. With this exception the divisions I have adopted are much the same as those of the various Sections and Sub-sections of the British Association.
Some doubt may be felt as to how far the replies may be trusted. For my own part, I believe they are substantially correct, judging principally from internal evidence, and partly from having questioned different members of several families, and finding their opinions corroborative. The greatest difficulty I have had in my inquiries generally is due to reticence on the part of the writers, who say nothing when much was to be said ; but even this does not affect relative results. Again, many men are conceited ; still the forms in which conceit shows itself do not much affect those results. Thus, a too emphatic narration of early achievements does not distort their mutual proportions. If men are too proud to acknowledge their indebtedness to natural gifts, the relative value they ascribe to motives remains unchanged. I am astonished at the unconscious vanity which
