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practical tendency of American education. Professor Cooke holds to those higher ideals of life which are fostered by the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, and at the same time clearly recognizes the incompatibility of those ideals with the prevailing standards by which men's thoughts and actions are being directed. "I felt," he says, in presenting the subject of his lecture on the "Nobility of Knowledge," "that a proper appreciation of the true dignity of knowledge, in itself considered, and apart from all economical considerations, is one of the great wants of our age and of our country. So far as knowledge will yield immediate distinction or gain, it is sought and fostered by multitudes. But, when the aim is low, the attainment is low, and too many of our students are satisfied with superficiality, if it only glitters, and with charlatanry, if it only brings gold.

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In the initial essay the importance of scientific culture is emphasized for the reason that physical science has become, next to religion, the greatest power in modern civilization, and the change in relative importance of other branches, is clearly indicated, without depreciating however, their real value as sources of culture. The essay on the "Radiometer" is an interesting account of the development of the theory of molecular motion, and of the author's extended experiments with that mysterious little instrument.

The remaining contents of the volume consist of two educational addresses, and of two brief biographical sketches, and each of them is in its way a model of popular scientific exposition.

THE ART OF SPEECH. quence and Logic. D.D.

Vol II. Studies in EloBy L. T. Townsend, New York: D. Appleton & Co.

A novel result of the establishment of " summer schools' has been the appearance from time to time of comprehensive text-books, designed primarily for the use of the visitors at these gatherings, but attaining also to a more permanent place in the vast machinery of educational work. The wisdom of serving up important subjects in the diluted form adapted

to the relaxed mental condition of summer students may properly be questioned; and, moreover, all subjects do not lend themselves equally well to this method of treatment, as is well illustrated in Professor Townsend's present volume. An account of the life and character of Demosthenes and a critical analysis of the Oration on the Crown form the basis for certain inferences" or general principles, twenty-one in all, which must be carefully observed in the formation of the "ideal orator.' Much that is both pleasant and profitable may be found here upon the general subject of elo

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quence, consisting almost wholly of quotations gleaned from the wide field of oratory, from the Hebrew prophets to the Rev. Joseph Cook and other less prominent exponents of modern eloquence. Logic, however, when spread out over a series of detached propositions, whose connection is indicated only by the successive letters of the alphabet, becomes illogical enough. For example, it would trouble any student to extract from these pages an intelligible notion of what is meant by induction" or deduction," and what practical use may be made of those methods.

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It is due to the author, however, to state that his book is called upon the title page Studies in Eloquence and Logic," and in the preface is spoken of as a treatise" which it is expected "clergymen more than those of other professions will study."

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FOREIGN LITERARY NOTES.

WE learn from Polybiblion that the Propaganda Press has just printed a collection of Latin hymns composed by Pope Leo XIII. in honor of two bishops and martyrs.

ACCORDING to a German authority, the book that has obtained the greatest number of readers in modern times is Notre Dame de Lourdes," by M. Lasserre, which is now in its 150th edition.

AMONG the MSS. added to the Bibliothèque Nationale in 1880 is a collection of letters of Alfred de Musset, enclosed in a sealed chest, which is not to be opened before the year 1910.

A SOCIETY for the study of the history and archæology of the diocese of Paris has been formed under the auspices of Archbishop Guibert. The president of the society is M. Natalis de Wailly, and it is proposed to publish a quarterly journal.

found a new deA book printed

THE German alphabet has fender in Prince Bismarck. in Roman letters which had been presented to the prince was returned to the publisher, with a letter from the prince's private secretary stating that "according to general rules, it was forbidden to present to the imperial chancellor any books in German printed with Roman letters, because it took the chancellor too much time to read them."

WE learn from the Rassegna Settimanale that a new literary review is to be published in Rome, under the editorship of Signor Ruggero Bonghi, the well-known former Minister of Education in the Cabinet of the Right. Its title is La Cultura: Rivista di Scienze morali, de Lettre ed Arti. It will appear every fortnight, and will be divided into three parts-the first consisting of reviews of books, the second

of shorter notices, and the third of notes of matters affecting culture in general, and especially public instruction.

THE preliminary reading for the Philological Society's new English Dictionary, which has now little more than six months to run, has so far produced very satisfactory results. Up to the present no fewer than 842,870 slips have been supplied to readers, of which 698,745, or about 84 per cent, have been returned filled up. Of these no less than 85,000 are the result of the reading of four readers. The number of readers who have helped in the work is over 750, of whom 510 are still reading. The number of authors read is over 2700, representing over 4400 separate works, and, of course, a much larger number of volumes. Allowing two lines to each quotation (a small estimate), the quotations represent an aggregate of writing of nearly 80 miles, and the weight of the slips issued exceeds 15 cwt. The grand total of slips received since the work was first started in 1858 closely approaches 3,000,000.

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MR. RICHARD HERNE SHEPHERD has in hand an edition, in two handsome volumes of "The Dramatic and Poetical Writings of Charles Dickens, never before collected, prefaced by a monograph on Charles Dickens as a dramatist and as an actor. The dramatic pieces are five in number. Of these three, The Strange Gentleman, The Village Coquettes, Is She his Wife, or Something Singular, were produced

with considerable success in 1836-37 at the St. James's Theatre, under Braham's management. The third of these pieces was apparently unknown to Mr. Forster, who makes no mention of it in his "Life of Dickens." The fourth piece, entitled The Lamplighter, was written in 1838 for Macready's theatre, but was never acted or printed at the time, and is preserved in MS. in the Forster Collection at South

Kensington. The fifth is Mr. Nightingale's Diary, written conjointly by Charles Dickens and Mark Lemon, and acted by the Guild of Literature and Art. The poetical pieces, with which the second volume closes, include the prologue to Mr. Westland Marston's play of The Patrician's Daughter, The Hymn of the Wiltshire Laborers, A Word in Season, and a number of squibs contributed to the Examiner.

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SCIENCE AND ART.

EUROPEAN TREATMENT OF THE INSANE AND OF DEAF MUTES.-Dr. G. M. Beard, of New York, lately visited Europe for the purpose of studying the methods adopted by different countries in the treatment of the insane; and the results of his inquiries have just been published in a pamphlet. He puts Great Britain first of all nations in its care and treatment of these afflicted ones; and of the three British Isles, Scotland has, in his estimation, earned the first place. He holds that the insane should be treated with no more restraint than children;

for, as a matter of fact, diseases of the brain deprive them of the advantages that come with He noticed during maturity and education.

his tour that the most successful asylums were not imposing buildings, but consisted of detached houses or cottages. With regard to treatment, we may here mention that in Morningside Asylum, Edinburgh, amusements in the shape of music, dancing, etc., are encouraged; and a newspaper, edited by one of the inmates, has flourished for many years in the institution.

In Germany, which Mr. Beard places on his list next to Britain, he was surprised to find that the lunatics were taught trades, and that in many cases a better day's work was done than by an average workman in full health.

In the treatment of another class of unfortunate sufferers—namely, deaf-mutes--Germany takes the first rank. An International Conference held at Milan last September, for the purpose of collecting evidence as to the best mode of teaching those who have mouths but speak not came to the conclusion that the German or pure oral method was the best; one hundred and sixty-four out of one hundred and seventy experts giving testimony in its favor. This Congress has lately been followed by one in London, the first of its kind in this kingdom. Resolutions were here passed in favor of the pure oral, or mute lip-reading method,

and to the effect that government should undertake the education of deaf-mutes by that method. We may mention in this connection that Professor Bell, who first taught a telephone to articulate, has been most successful in teaching this system of lip-reading to the deaf and dumb.-Chambers's Journal.

RESPIRATION AFFECTED BY ALTITUDE.-M. Marcet, whose experiments with reference to respiration on the Alps are well known, has made similar observations at various altitudes on the Peak of Teneriffe-respectively 7090, 10,700, and 12,200 feet above the sea-level. Among the results noted, it appears that the carbonic acid expired is, under all circum stances, proportional to the weight of the body, the amount being greatest during the first or second hour after eating, then gradually diminishing; the amount of carbonic acid expired was greater at Teneriffe than on the Alps, but no increase in one case at the greater elevations, such as was experienced on the Alps, the increase in the latter case being probably due to reduced temperature; in the other case, however, 17 per cent more carbonic acid was expired at the sea-level than on the Peak of Teneriffe, this being due to increased perspiration at the higher altitudes; the volume of air expired per minute, and also the number of respirations, decreased at the higher elevations.

THE SUN AND THE COLOR OF THE SKIN. Climate, as affecting complexion, presents some singular diversities, and the physiologist is puzzled with such facts in this direction as that, at the same distance from the equator is found the fair Englishman, the vellow Mongol, and the copper-colored Indian; to the north of the white Russian and Finn live the swarthy Lapp and Samoyed; north of the Caucasus are dark-skinned Tartars, south of it faircomplexioned Circassians. Again, the aborigines of America vary less in color than the natives of the Old World-none of them are as fair as the Swede, none as black as the negro of Congo, and those living in Brazil, on the equator, are not the darkest. In Australia and New Guinea, too, there are blacker men than in Borneo and Sumatra, though these islands are on the equator and those are not.

AN INGÉNIOUS OPERATION.-A Berlin ocu

list recently saved the sight of a workman who had a small splinter of steel imbedded in his

eye. It became necessary to find a means of

relief, or to remove the eye. The operator used an iron probe, which, when in contact with the fragment of steel, he converted into an electro-magnet; and thus the foreign body was removed. Ordinary "permanent" magnets have been used for the purpose before; but this, we believe, is the first time the elec

tro-magnet has been so employed. Its superior power at once points to the advantages it offers, particularly in cases where the metallic fragment is firmly fixed in the cornea. Such accidents are by no means rare; indeed, in iron-works they are so common that very often the workmen get most expert in removing the intruders by far more simple means.

METHOD OF LIFTING TREES.-An ingenious and effective means of transplanting trees has been recently contrived by a gentleman signing himself Philodendron. The apparatus employed has the appearance of a large fork, weighing about fifty pounds. This fork is urged into the ground by a see-saw motion in front of the tree to be uprooted. A fulcrum is then placed underneath it, and a tubular lever about eight feet long is attached as a prolongation of the fork-handle. One or two men then exert their strength on the lever so formed, and the tree rises from the earth. The roots are drawn out entire, so that the growth remains uninjured. The entire operation for a tree ten feet high occupies about three minutes.

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LUMINOSITY OF PHOSPHORUS. markable fact was noticed by Fourcroy, that phosphorus does not shine in pure oxygen at the temperature of 15 deg. C., and atmospheric pressure. M. Chappuis has lately observed that a bubble of ozone brought into a test-tube (used in this experiment) causes phosphoresThe phenomenon persists only an instant, till all the ozone is absorbed. This experiment gives fresh proof that the phosphorescence of phosphorus is due not to vaporization, but to combustion of the vapor. All the space filled with oxygen is luminous at first, and it is only when all the vapor of phosphorus is burnt by the ozone that the phosphorus shines in its turn. Again, M. Chappuis notes that substances, like oil of turpentine, which hinder phosphorescence, destroy ozone, or are destroyed by it. In a spherical glass vessel holding air, phosphorus, and oil of turpentine, a bubble of ozone introduced causes a momentary gleam. The ozone is destroyed in contact with the oil, but also burns part of the phosphorus vapor. Presently the gleam, produced at first only at the point of arrival of the ozone, spreads through the whole space occupied by phosphorus vapor, and the phenomenon lasts some time; at length only the

phosphorus remains luminous. (These experi

ments were lately brought before the Paris Chemical Society.)

A HISTORY OF EARTHQUAKES.-An earthquake was recorded in England as having occurred in 974, a few years after one in Egypt, where a violent shock again occurred in 997. In 1043 and 1048 there were earthquakes of a

witnessed by Captain N, the creature chose his (the captain's) bed for the purpose. The snake had got its head beneath the pillow, and partly cast the skin when first observed. By alternate contraction and expansion of the muscles, the skin was pushed over the head, the creature gradually backing out of the slough through the orifice at the tail. The task took eight hours to accomplish, and the snake was then of a glowing red color, and highly sensitive to the touch for the first twenty-four hours after leaving the old skin, at the end of which time it had gradually become darker and darker until it regained its natural blackish color. Captain N- was known among the natives as the "Samp-Wallah" or Snake-man, and the snakes proved a most efficient guard for his quarters. -Hardwicke's Science Gossip.

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moderately destructive nature in England, and and during moulting), and, in the instance in March and April, 1076, especially. Every century brought more records, thanks to more exact histories, so that if we were to compare those of the eighteenth and present centuries with those of 500 or 600 years before, it would appear that the unsettled condition and vibrations of the earth's crust were on the increase. It is a matter of more extensive knowledge, and not of the more frequent occurrence of the phenomena. There were, down to thirty years since, at least 6000 earthquakes recorded, from every known part of the globe and from every ocean, and while most of them were in the neighborhood of active or intermittent volcanoes, others took place in districts which are remote from them, and not a few in places where formerly, and in the last geological ages, there were volcanoes which are now quite extinct. The regions of the Andes, the north of Sicily, and of Naples, close to active volcanoes, are examples of countries pre-eminently subject to shocks; the remoter districts of England and Scotland are comparatively slightly influenced by the cause of the earthquakes; but places like Rome, which are upon old volcanic hills, feel the latent energy beneath them now and then, severely. The earthquake shock and the volcanic eruption, or rather the causes of the trembling of the earth and the explosion and ejection of volcanic materials, are in evident relation, but it is true that while an eruption appears to follow and to relieve the earth from earthquakes within a certain distance, there are some regions so remote from volcanic energy that the earth-shake is never recorded in their annals. By placing on a map the places where earthquakes have been recorded, and shading the regions of most frequent occurrence darker than the others, the earthquake tracts of the historic period can be understood. They, of course, run along all the lines of volcanic cones on the earth, and between the nearest; but there are some remarkable exceptions. A map thus shaded, and with _k, d and t, etc., in consequence of these being blank spaces indicating the countries free from earthquakes, would show how very general are these phenomena.-Science for All.

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How SNAKES CAST THEIR SLOUGH.-Gilbert White, in his "Natural History of Selborne," thinks that snakes crawl out of the mouth of their own sloughs, and quit the tail part last, just as eels are skinned by a cookmaid." But my friend Captain N-, who has served thirty years in the army in India, and has kept tame snakes (one a Cobra de capello, and another a rock-snake), and watched the operation in the case of one of his pets, describes the process thus: For some days before casting the slough, the snake appears to suffer in health (as do birds before

AN ELECTRICAL SPEECH RECORDER. A curious instrument, which, if it never come into very general use, exhibits much ingenuity, has been devised by M. Amadeo Gentilli, of Leipsic, for the purpose of giving an intelligible record of speech. The natural movements of the mouth in speaking are employed to produce through delicate levers a series of electric contacts, and thereby sundry combinations of signs are imprinted on a moving band of paper, the signs being similar to those of the Morse alphabet. The transmitting portion of the apparatus is based on a careful study of the motion of lips and tongue in speaking with an object held between the teeth. The working parts are mainly arranged on an ebonite plate, from one end of which projects a piece to be taken between the teeth, whereupon the mouth levers come into position. There are eight electro-magnets in the receiver, each of which, when actuated by a current, causes a line to be formed on the paper. The instrument is deficient, however, in articulation, there being only one sign for such sets of letters as g and

produced by similar movements of the vocal organs.

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CLASSIFICATION OF MEN ACCORDING TO STATURE.-The vagueness with which such terms as "tall" and short" are employed, even by scientific men, has led Professor G. Zoia to propose a classification for the use of anthropologists, which he explains in the Rendiconti of the R. Instituto Lombardo. We take an outline of his scheme from a notice in the last number of Professor Mantegazza's Archivio per l'Antropologia. Any giants of more than 2.5 mètres in height will be placed in the class hypergigantosoma; all people between 2.26 and 2.5 mètres will fall into the class gigantosoma; while those from 2.01 to

2.25 mètres form the group hypogigantosoma. In the class hypermegasoma the stature varies from 1.91 to 2 mètres; in the megasoma from 1.81 to 1.9; in the hypomegasoma from 1.71 to 1.8; and in the hypermesosoma from 1.66 to 1.7. The average men of 1.65 constitute the group of mesosoma. In the hypomesosoma we find all people who measure from 1.64 to 1.6; then come the smaller men from 1.59 down to 1.5, forming the hypermicrosoma; those from 1.49 to 1.4 compose the microsoma; and from 1.39 to 1.25 the hypomicrosoma. As to the dwarfish folk, they are to be known as the hypernanosoma if between 1.24 and I mètre ; as the nanosoma if between .99 and .75; and as the hyponanosoma if below .75 mètre.

GLOBE LIGHTNING.-M. Trécul records that on August 25, 1880, during a thunder-storm in the day-time, he saw a very brilliant, luminous body issue from a dark cloud. It was nearly white, having only a slight yellowish tinge, was distinctly circumscribed, slightly elongated in form, and had the appearance of being 30-40 centims. long and about 25 centims. wide. The two ends were somewhat conical. This body was visible only for a few moments, when it disappeared seemingly by entering again into the cloud, but before its disappearance it threw off a small quantity of its substance, which fell vertically like a heavy body, leaving behind it a luminous train, at the edges of which were reddish sparks, or rather globules, for their light was not radiant. upper part of the train became sinuous. little falling body divided and soon afterward became extinguished just before it passed down behind the houses. No sound was heard, although the cloud was not distant.-Comptes Rendus.

The The

EARTHQUAKES IN 1880.-According to Herr Fuchs's annual report on volcanic eruptions and earthquakes which has just appeared in Der Naturforscher, the activity of volcanoes in 1880 was rather small, the only remarkable eruption being that of Mauna Loa, on the island of Hawaii, on November 5th, when, about nine kilometres from the summit, three new craters sent out streams of glowing lava, chiefly to the south-east and east, and the ejected scoriæ formed an eminence of 130m. The number of earthquakes, on the other hand was remarkable. Of the 206 known to Herr Fuchs, several were of high importance. The most terrible was that in Luzon, the chief island of the Philippines. It began in April in the north, continued with increasing violence in May, June, and July, and about the middle of July (14-18) devastated greater part of the island, with Manilla, causing great loss of life.

The most violent shock, however, was on the 20th, and seemed to complete the ruin. None of the numerous volcanoes showed anything unusual. The Agram earthquake in November excited great interest, but its importance, Herr Fuchs thinks, was exaggerated, neither the number nor the violence of the shocks being unprecedented in the south-eastern outlying parts of the Alps. Among numerous other earthquates, that of Smyrna, on June 22d, was conspicuous for its disastrous results. The devastation was still greater on July 29th, when the shocks extended to the islands of Samos and Chio. They did not cease till August 4th. The frightful event at Chio in April, 1881, seems to indicate a long earthquake period and a displacement of the centre of disturbance from the mainland. December was the month of most earthquakes. The tide theory would place the maximum in January, but in the present case there were only 18 earthquakes in January against 31 in November, and 43 in April showed a minimum instead of a secondary maximum.

December.

MISCELLANY.

THE JOURNALIST OF TO-DAY.-Allowing for that extra touch of vanity which seems inseparable from all who teach or directly address the public, and which is found equally in schoolmasters, actors, lecturers, orators, and popular preachers, we should doubt if in the present day journalists were pretentious, if the tendency among them were not to undervalue tatingly than most authors. their art and mystery, and to write more hesiIf Lord Sher

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brooke will compare his own style on the Times with that adopted in any "leader" published this week, he will find, we think, that the most decided change is a want of decisiveness, a hesitation, and so to speak, a modesty of demeanor, which in his time was unknown, and which is frequently carried so far as to destroy much of the utility of what is said. leader-writer of to-day balances too much, perhaps from an unconscious exaggeration of the possible effect of his opinion, and too often lets the reader see him thinking. With an exception or two, for cases in which the writer is burning with rancor or prejudice, the tone of the journalistic writing of to-day is curiously hesitating and tentative, more especially when it refers to current events, upon which the next hour may bring an unforeseen telegram. This is quite remarkable in the Times, once very "absolute" in tone, but it extends more or less to the whole body of journals, and is only concealed from the public by a few traditionary assumptions, such as the use of the impersonal

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