The Birmingham School Board hae done a good thing in
making the humane treatment of animals a subject of direct teach- ing in the classes of its various schools. The truth certainly is that much, if not most, of the cruelty practised towards the lower animals, is due to complete ignorance of the nature of the suffering inflicted, and want of knowledge in relation to the very large area -of feeling which is common to man and to many at least of those animals. At a Birmingham meeting held last Wednesday, the prizes gained by children who had learnt something on the sub- ject during the last year, were distributed by Professor Rolleston ; And a letter was read from Mr. Bright to Miss Julia Goddard,— 'to whose indefatigable exertions the whole movement is, in very large moa.sure, due,—speaking very warmly of the good which -this teaching would effect. We do not suppose that any such teaching will affect the genuinely cruel at all. Let Socrates say what he will, virtue cannot be taught, unless in some alight degree through the affections and by example. But such teaching will prevent that vast amount of pain inflicted from sheer want of thought and knowledge. Moreover, no classes are likely to be more popular and interesting to children than the classes in 'which their sympathies for the lower animals are stimulated.
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