23rd, 25th, 27th. Snow, 1st, 5th, 12th, 13th, 20th, 24th, 26th, 29th. Rain' 2nd, 3rd. 4th, 8th, 9th, 11th. Mill pond free from ice on 4th; frozen the third time, 5th; free, 12th; and frozen, 14th. Mean monthly temperature +5° in excess of average December 12 years.

HAMILTON. Hail, 13th. Wind storms, 3rd, 4th, 5th. Snow, 1st, 12th, 13th, 19th, 24th, 26th, 29th, 30th. Rain, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 8th, 9th, 11th, 12th, 19th, 26th.

SIMCOE.-Wind storms, 4th, 29th. Snow, 1st, 13th, 26th, 29th, Rain, 2nd-4th, 9th, 11th, 12th.

WINDSOR.-Wind storms, 4th, 27th, 29th. Fog, 18th. Snow, 1st, 13th, 25th. Rain, 2nd-4th, 8th, 11th, 12th. Lunar halo, 4th, 5th, 24th, 25th, 26th, 28th, 29th. Meteor in S. towards H., 23rd. On the lakes, naviga tion closed about the 1st of the month, and on the Detroit River about 24th.

V. Papers on Practical Education.

1. NO TIME FOR SINGING, ETC.

"Trunk keys," said Johnny. "It doesn't pull door keys. I tried ever so many"

Try this key," said I taking one from my pocket. "This is a trunk key. See if the magnet pulls it."

"No-o," said Johnny, thoughtfully, "it doesn't, but it pulled all the rest of the trunk keys I could find."

"Now try this key to the door of my office,"

Johnny tried it, and to his great amazement, the key stuck fast to the magnet.

"Clearly," said I, "the magnet pulls some door keys, and fails to pull some trunk keys."

Johnny was puzzled more than ever. He looked at one pile of keys, then at the other, thought a moment, then picked up my trunk key, and said, "This key is brass. The rest are iron." "That's "I said.

A hint to teachers worth remembering is given by the Minnesota Teacher, thus: "We occasionally hear teachers complain that they can find no time for certain general school exercises, such as language lessons, lessons in natural science, singing, &c., &c. Their pupils are backward, and must spend their time upon the ordinary lessons of the text-books. So they work on conscientiously, patiently, and wonder that they do not, after all, witness a really rapid and satifactorily thorough progress in their school. They wonder, too, that their neighbour has taken a more backward "And all these door keys that the magnet didn't pull, " he conschool, given lessons in language, lessons upon plants, animals and tinued, are brass too. May be the magnet can't pull brass inorganic things, and, to crown all, brought about a good understand-things." ing of arithmetic, geography, reading and writing. It was the spirit which led the successful teacher to adopt language lessons, object lessons and composition writing, which found its way into her pupils and bore down all obstacles.”

So,

Suppose you try. But first see if there are any brass things in your pile of things the magnet pulled."

Johnny looked them over and found not one. In the other pile he found a brass nail, some brass pins, a hinge, and several other articles made of brass, none of which the magnet would pull. Then we tried the castors of my chair, and all the other brass things we "There's no use trying any more," said Johnny at last. “The magnet won't pull brass. "The magnet

2. JOHNNY BECOMES ACQUAINTED WITH SOMETHING could find with the same result. HE CAN'T SEE.

The following, by Adam Stwin, which we find in the Young Folks Department of the Christian Union is such an admirable specimen of an object lesson, that we insert it as a model for those who wish to do something with lessons in objects in their schools.

Johnny is a seeker; and like every other little boy who keep his wits about him and watches things, he is continually making discoveries-the best of all ways for getting knowledge.

The other morning he found on my table a small piece of painted steel, shaped like a capital U, only there was a short bar of iron across the top, which made it look like a flattened D.

"What a funny little horseshoe!" said Johnny, picking it up. Why didn't they put some holes in for the nails?" "That isn't a horseshoe," I said. "It's a magnet." "Magnet! What's that?"

As Johnny asked the question, he turned the thing over in his hands, and pulled the bar a little to see how it was fastened on. The bar slipped and when he tried to pull it back into place, one end came off, so that the bar hung only by a corner. "Never mind," I said, as he looked up with a scared expression that plainly said, "I didn't mean to break it !”

66 It isn't broken. Put the bar back."

Johnny put it back, and it sprang into place with a sharp click. "That's funny," he cried again. "What made it jump so? And what makes it stick? It doesn't feel sticky. "We call it magnetism," I said. and see if you can pull it straight off." "I can't. It sticks fast." "Pull harder."

Now take hold of the bar

Johnny braced himself for a strong pull. Suddenly the bar came off and the little" fellow went tumbling backward into the middle of the room.

"Well, I never ?" he cried good naturedly, picking himself up. "What did you say makes it hold so hard?"

66

Magnetism," I said again.

"But what is magnetism?"

66

Then, there's another matter settled," I said. does not pull brass. Is there anything else that it does not pull ? "Wood," said Johnny. "I tried lots of pieces." "Anything else."

Stones, "said Johnny decidedly.

"What are these ?" I asked holding up a couple of heavy stones he had put among the things the magnet pulled.

"I guess I put those there by mistake, said Johnny, testing with the magnet a number of stones in the other pile. "Try them," I said.

"Oh!" he said, as the magnet lifted them. "I forgot. It does lift some stones."

"I couldn't tell you if I tried; but I think you could learn at its interior. a good deal about it with that magnet."

Could I? Let me try."

That is one of Johnny's ways of amusing himself. He likes to find out things for himself, as well as most boys like to work at puzzles.

"You will find a lot of things in that box of odds and ends that may help you.”

Saying this I went about my business, leaving the young Faraday to pursue his studies as best he might. When I came home in the evening I found him more puzzled than I left him. "That's the queerest thing I ever saw." he said. "Some things

"I think it is," I said. Try it with the magnet, and then try this white shoe-nail that is white clear through."

The shoe-nail did not stick; the other did, and we classed them accordingly.

"What else have we in this pile ?"

"Needles, hairpins, screws, wire-iron wire," Johnny added quickly. "Brass wire doesn't stick, you know."

"How about this?" I asked, taking a small coil of red wire from my desk."

"I guess that won't stick," said Johnny,
"Why so?".

"Because that's copper wire, and the magnet doesn't seem to pull anything that isn't iron.

Much to Johnny's satisfaction, the copper wire had to be placed with the things not affected by the magnet. Then I took up the two stones, one rusty red, the other quite black, and said: "What about these ?"

"I guess they must have iron in them too," said Johnny," Have they p

They have," I replied. "They are iron stones as the miners call them, or ores from which iron is made. But what made you think there was iron in them ?"

It is not by frequent lectures on etiquette, or by reading daily to the school, extracts from the writings of Chesterfield, that these matters are to be taught. The teacher must lead the way by his own example, and if this prove what it ought to be, there will be little trouble with the school. It is to be regretted that teachers are still to be found, who are slovenly in their dress, and exceedingly coarse in their manners and conversation. By any or all of these we are not only enabled to read the true character of the teacher, but we know what we may expect of a school. It is often possible to tell what the merits of a recitation will be by the manner of the pupils in coming to class, and the teacher's skill to conduct a recitation is often shown by his manner, even before he asks a

"Because they wouldn't have stuck to the magnet if there wasn't, would they? Anyhow all these things that do stick have iron in question.-Pennsylvania School Journal. them."

66 Quite true. So you have learned another very important fact about the magnet. Can you tell me what it is. The fact, I mean." "The magnet pulls iron," said Johnny.

"Good," said I; "and it is also true that the magnet does not pull-❞

"Things that are not iron," said Johnny.

"True, again," I said, so far as our experiments go. There may be things besides iron that the magnet will pull, and there may be times when the magnet will not pull iron; but, so far as we have tried it, the magnet pulls iron always, and never anything

else."

"But you haven't told me what makes it pull iron." "That I cannot do any more than you. We see that it does pull, and can study generally the manner of the pulling-it will take you a long time to learn all about that; but just how it is that the pulling is done, or what makes it, no one has yet found out. For convenience, we call the pulling power magnetism. You can keep the magnet, and study its action further. When you've tried it in every way you can think of, come to me, and I'll show you ever so many curious things you can do with it."

3. WORDS WITHOUT IDEAS.

the delight of all Granada?"

bra.

4. PROFESSOR AGASSIZ AS A TEACHER.

BY PROF. W. J. BEAL.

Perhaps I can best give an idea of Professor Agassiz's mode of teaching by telling how he taught myself in the museum at Cambridge. He was glad to see me there. He said: "You must make up your mind to be a poor man all your life if you become a naturalist. With my mode of treatment students are about sure to be discouraged at first. I shall try your patience. You have read books, but have not studied the subjects themselves. If you study with me you must not look at a book for some time-several months. You must learn to see, to observe for yourself. After students get started once in this way, the longer they study here, the more they like it, and the more reluctant they are to leave." questions, he handed me half a dozen or more dead sea urchins, and left me with the remark: "I want you to see what you can make of them, and in a day or two I will see how you get along."

After some

He assigned me a table in the laboratory, where cords of new specimens were stacked up in tray-like boxes sitting tightly over each other. This was a queer way to study, six dry specimens and no books! I looked them over, using part of the time a small pocket lens. I was glad when night came, for it seemed as though I had learned all there was to be learned of sea urchins. I broke Said Kadiga: "Shall I get you the wonderful parrot that sings all languages, and is them in pieces and made some small drawings. The next day the "Odious!" exclaimed the princess. "A horrid, screaming bird, that chatters words Professor called with a smile, saying, "Well, what have you seen?" without ideas; one must be without brains to tolerate such a pest!"—Irving's Alham- He glanced at the drawings and I told him what I had done. He gives a few hints of what to look for, gives names for a few of the Go with me into yon school-room, and let us listen to the parts (perhaps half a dozen), notices some mistakes, but makes no exercises of the pupils. The first is a spelling lesson. What do corrections. I supposed new specimens were to be given me. Not we hear! Words are pronounced by the master, and the letters so; I was to study those longer. Thus he called every day or two expressing them are named by the pupils. The exercise is gener- for three weeks, generally hearing what I had to say till I made a ally this, and no more. This teacher (?) never makes an effort to mistake. Then he says, 66 You are wrong," turns and leaves me to have his pupils understand, much less to comprehend the thoughts work it over. I was surprised at my own work, surprised at the or conceptions of the mind which these words represent. The end of that time to find something new every day. reading lesson is no better. The pupils are taught to pronounce only business, my only study for all day except two to six lectures the words correctly, to raise the voice at the close of a direct ques- a week. tion and to let it fall at a period; but little effort is expended to make the pupils vigorous thinkers, and to read for the purpose of acquiring knowledge, and of expressing thought, feeling, and purpose. In geography the questions of the text-book are asked verbatim, and answered verbatim. In grammar, ditto; in arithmetic ditto, except that the pupils explain (?) their solutions of "sums" by saying; "I did just as the rule directs and so got the answer."

Hor

This was my

After this I dissected specimens which had been in alcohol, and occasionally went to Chelsea beach to get fresh specimens. In a similar manner one species of star-fish was examined, occupying chin (a flattened sphere) and the star-fish (with five rays or arms), only a week or so. "These two animals, the sea urAgassiz says: are composed of similar parts arranged in a similar manner. Learn how it is." This comparison occupied several days.

The next specimen was a spatangoid, an animal somewhat like both the others. Now homologize these three." Then a third and fourth species were given me, very different in appearance from the others, and I was told again "Compare. It is easy enough to observe isolated parts-any one can soon learn to do that--but when you com

Now how can we help exclaiming of these pupils as Irving's princess did of the "wonderful parrot that talks all languages.' rid, screaming things, that chatter words without ideas !"--and of the teacher: "One must be without brains" day after day to enact and re-enact such a senseless farce! And parents of common sense permit this thoughtless, brainless, dementing process to be pursued year after year with their children under the pare two objects, you take a step in philosophy." In one case I pretence of educating them-of fitting them for the duties of life! with here and there one only, when the case becomes remediless, perhaps who exclaims, "I don't see that sending to school does much good." But, how long, oh, how long, is this to continue in so many schools? Until the press, the pulpit, lecturers, leading educators, and persons of intelligence, shall unite in saying, "Thus far and no farther!"-until mere rote-teaching and rule teaching shall in most branches, be banished from all our schools.-M. M. Baldwin, in N. Y. State Educational Jounal.

was to make a paper model of a coral, to show my idea of it. Corals were compared with sea urchins and star-fishes. I looked two weeks at the corals, but did not then see all of them to suit him. It took more time still.

Books were allowed in a few months. Their contents were then carefully read, and understood with much interest. He often said: "Study specimens and refer to books, and not the reverse, as is usually done. Text-book knowledge about natnre does not amount to anything; it is a very poor basis of culture."

After realizing the effect of this mode of studying natural history upon myself and my students, and seeing the progress of others POLITENESS IN THE SCHOOL-ROOM.-The utmost refinement and pursuing this course, I am sure it is the correct way. With small courtesy should mark all the intercourse between the members of scholars it may be somewhat modified, but to take a course of a the school, and between teacher and pupils. No matter how great few weeks in a text-book, with a few references to specimens, is time the scholastic attainments of a teacher, or how rapid the progress poorly spent. Better by far, give each student a grasshopper and ofthe pupils in the various school studies, if the cultivation of the a small microscope, let him work at it and tell you all he has seen. conversation, manners, and habits of the pupils be overlooked, the give a few hints now and then, and ask some questions,-Michigan teacher neglects that part of his work which is the most important, School.

6. WHERE TEACHERS FAIL.

later Ribodeneyra refers to it as an ancient ruin in Cambodia. This is all that there is of its history.

The Polaris expedition, the extraordinary escape of Capt. Tyson and his crew, were graphically described by the learned judge, as also the Swedish Arctic expedition under Prof. Nordenskiold. The exploration of the Amazon and its tributaries, and across the interior, to Lake Titicaca, by Prof. Orton, of Vassar College, New York, gave us a vast amount of information of this hitherto unknown territory. Travels in Peru and Patagonia were also productive of most important results.

In Europe, the work of the year has been the continuation of great topographical surveys, the value of which was so strikingly illustrated in the Franco-Prussian war, where the invading force Hon. E. E. White, of Ohio, speaking of teachers, says: "There was furnished with such accurate maps of the country that a speedy are more failures from imperfect scholarship than from any other conquest was the result. In Asia the past year witnessed the cause." This is doubtless true according to a comprehensive and journey of Mr. Ney Elias, from Pekin, through Chinese Tartary to very general idea of scholarship, or according to that view of success St. Petersburg, Baron Von Richthofen's explorations in Northern in teaching which takes account of the shortcomings of teachers as China, disclosing the fact that her coal fields cover 400,000 miles, regards a proper appreciation and adoption of the most approved and that the supply of iron is inexhaustible; and other impormethods of instruction. But if we were to measure the success of tant explorations had been made in Persia, Afghanistan and our common school teachers by the usual or popular standard, I Arabia. think we should find that far the larger part of the cases of failure In Palestine the explorations were continued under the auspices of teachers is from lack of ability to govern their schools. Compara- of the English and American Societies. Excavations now carried tively few prove deficient in the literary qualifications which they on in Jerusalem under Capt. Warren, to ascertain the ancient site are expected to possess-in a satisfactory knowledge of the subjects and plan of the city, and fix the locality of places of interest, were required to be taught. On the other hand, we quite frequently productive of good results, disclosing many ancient inscriptions, and hear said: "Our teacher cannot keep order,' "Our teacher lacks objects of art and domestic use. The expedition of Capts. Wilson government,' "Our teacher is a first-rate scholar, but lacks execu- and Anderson resulted in the discovery of many ruins heretofore tive ability." Moreover, judging from cause to effect, we should unknown. Captain Warner ascertained that the ancient Gaza was expect to find teachers oftener failing in matters of government three miles nearer to the Mediterranean than the present city. than in those of ordinary scholarship. We do not need to look far The Peninsula of Sinai was surveyed by the British Ordnance Surfor the occasion of this result. A student spends years in preparing vey, and the conclusion arrived at by the exploration corroborate himself in the branches he may teach, while the principles of school the truthfulness and accuracy of sacred history. government are either entirely neglected, left to the suggestion of mere instinct, or are crowded into the few general observations of a short course of lectures.

The Desert of the Exodus was explored by Prof. Palmer and Mr. Drake, and cairns and stone circles were found in great numbers. This expedition traced the path of the Israelites in their journey to the Promised Land, and discovered ruins of cities, fortresses, churches, rock dwellings, etc., many of the places still reart, R. E., has surveyed about 1,600 square miles of the country between the Mediterranean and the Jordan, and other surveys are in course of being made. The American Society's expedition, under Lieut. Steever, United States army, surveyed and mapped 600 miles east of the Jordan. All the various explorations and surveys tend to prove the accuracy of the topography given in the

The Teachers' Association in Worcester spent an afternoon in listen-taining the names they had in the days of David. Captain Stewing to an essay, "Are the pupils of our public schools over-worked?" and a discussion thereon. The opinion seems very decided that late hours, foolish dressing, bad ventilation, &c., had more to do with the poor health of students than hard study.

VI. Papers on Geographical and other Subjects. Bible.

www

1. GEOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR.

At the annual meeting of the American Geographical Society, held recently in New York, Chief Justice Daly delivered the Annual address, in which he gave an interesting review of the "Geographical Work of the World," during the past year.

He began with a brief summary of what has been done in this country. Alluding to the coast surveys around the coast of Maine, Massachusets, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey, particu larly on the coast of Maine and adjacent Islands, with which have been connected hydrographical labours, especially with reference to the tides and currents. Special observations have been made near North Adams, Mass., for the determination of terrestrial gravity. The same kind of general labours have been carried on upon the Pacific coast. It has consisted of field and hydrographic work on the coast of California and the neighbouring islands and bays; the continuation of the important surveys of Columbia river, Puget sound, and the adjacent bays and inlets, deep sea-soundings, the geographical recognizance of the coast, and special surveys of the harbours of Alaska.

From Africa the geographical intelligence is not so interesting as the previous year, and presents little of interest, save the expedition of Sir Samuel Baker to the head-waters of the Nile, and that of the Galoon was also explored, but the party has not been heard of Sir Bartle Frere to Zanzibar. The equatorial region in vicinity from for some time. Some distance from Loango, into the interior, a race of dwarfs is said to exist. The operations for the year in Australasia were next described by Judge Daly, and the various surveys made by Capt. Morsby of the British Navy, minutely deThe explorations in New Guinea, Formosa, and Central Australia, and the laying of telegraph cables between the Australian continent and India completed the list of the geographical work for the year 1873.

tailed.

2. GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES OF NEW YORK.

Many of the geographical names in this state are of Indian origin, and are beautiful and significant. In some cases they are more than mere names; they are pictures, descriptions of things as they appeared to "the untutored mind" of the poor Indian; and it would puzzle most Anglo-Americans to select from their own language names more expressive or beautiful to be used in their place. Take a few cases that occur most readily to mind.

He then proceeded to give an interesting account of the various surveys and explorations of the western territories, undertaken by the government, and mentioned some extraordinary archæological Susquehanna, "crooked river;" Canajoharie, "the pot that washes discoveries made on an Island in Lake Okeechobee, in Florida; itself " applied at first to a whirlpool at the foot of one of the falls of and in referring to the subject of archæology, he told of the dis- the Creek; Tioga, "a junction of waters ;" Ticonderoga "noisy"—in covery of the ancient city of Angcor, in Cambodia, by Lieut. Gar- allusion to the falls at the outlet of Lake George; Poughkeepsie, nier, of the French service. Its ruins are distinguishable for their (Apo-keep-sing), "safe harbour;" Niagara, across the neck or magnificence, the elaborateness of the sculpture, and their extent straight"-lying between Lakes Erie and Ontario; Irondequoi, the four sides of the principal temple measuring two miles and a 'where the waves gasp and expire;" Cattaraugus, "stinking quarter. Wandering through the remains of endless roads, buried shore;" Chantanqua, "foggy place;" Oneida, "upright or standing in forests and jungle, Lieut. Garnier came upon the ruins of monu-stone Saratoga, "side hill;" Schenectady, "beyond the pine ment after monument, each, if possible, more astonishing than the plains; "Schoharie, "drift-wood;" Chemung, "horn in the water;" preceding. The architecture and sculpture exhibit a very advanced Conhocton, "trees in the water;" Banisteo, a board in the water;" knowledge of the arts, and the main temple is described as the Owasco, a bridge of drift wood"-at the north end of the lake masterpiece of some unknown Michael Angelo. A Chinese traveller Coxsakie, "hooting of the owls;" Warwarsing, "blackbird's nest;" in 1202 described Angcor as a splendid city, and about 300 years Shandaken, a town in Ulster Co., "rapid waters;" Shawangunk,

66

"white rocks;" Caughnawaga, a coffin;" from a large black stone in the river; Painted Post, called by the Indians Conewawah, "a head on a pole ;" Neskayuna, a town in Schenectady Co., "A field covered with corn; Schaghticote, from an Indian and a Dutch word, "land slide point;" and Manhattan, the name of the island on which the City of New York is built, "the place where men get drunk"-in allusion to the intoxication of the natives on the visit of Henry Hudson in 1609.-Groton Journal.

to 75,000; New York, from 57,800 to 121,000; Michigan, from
2,000 to 18,000; Tennessee from 62,000 to 74,000; Texas, from
5,000 to 19,000, and so on, including only the white population.
This illiteracy is most marked among the women.
In New Hamp-
shire, the uneducated women are 1,000 in excess; in New York,
20,000; in Pennsylvania, 17,000; in Georgia, 10,900; in Illinois,
8,000; in Massachusetts, 12,000.

2. ILLITERATES IN CANADA.

THE LENGTH OF DAYS.-At San Francisco the longest day has The second volume of the census of Canada, which is now being 14 hours; at Boston, 154; at Berlin and London, 16; at Stock-issued from the press, gives some extremely interesting statements holm and Upsal, 16; at Hamburg, Dantzic, and Stettin, 17, and in reference to the number of uneducated people in Canada. It is the shortest, 7. At St. Petersburg and Tobolsk the longest day has 19, and the shortest 5 hours. At Bornea, in Finland, the longest day has 21, and the shortest 2 hours. At Wanderbus, in Norway, the day lasts from the 21st of May to the 22nd of July, without interruption; and at Spitzbergen, the longest day is 3 months.

3. NAMES OF RULERS.

not flattering to our national pride, and not creditable that there should be in this Dominion, or rather in the four older Provinces of it out of a total population of 3,485,761 no less than 412, 142 persons who cannot write and 399 who cannot read. The incredible amount of ignorance, which such a state of affairs reveals, can scarcely be appreciated by a mere glance at the statistics. Taking up the census by provinces, we find that the Province of Quebec furnishes the whole Dominion with more than two thirds of its An examination of the list of the rulers of the kingdoms of the the age of 20 who are unable to write, and 191,862 of the same age illiterate classes. There are in Quebec 244,731 men and women above world shows that they are distinguished by the following titles :who are unable to read. There are 1,191,516 people in the Province Emperor, Czar, King, Queen, Grand Duke, Duke, Prince, Shah, of Quebee, of whom there are stated in the census to be 657,618 unKhan, Imaun, Emir, Lama, Tenno, Sultan, Hospodar, Hoang-ti, der the age of 21, leaving 533,898 to represent the remainder, so that Taksir-Khan, Khedive, and Bey. Besides all these there are in point of fact, nearly one-half of the adults of the Province of three Burgomasters (of the three free cities of Lubeck, Bremen and Quebec are unable to write, and more than one-third of them Hamburg); a group of seven Captain Regents who direct the affairs unable to read. No wonder that these people fly from a Province of the tiny Republic of San Marino; a "Domnu," or prince of which has given them so little help to advance in the social scale. Roumania, who is now Prince Charles of the house of Hohenzollern; No wonder the industries of Quebec are not satisfactory. It is a and a "first syndic," to whom is confided, by its ten thousand in-relief to turn from this picture of ignorance to the figures presented habitants, the custody of the little Republic of Andorre in the by the fine Province of Ontario. Out of a population of 1,620,851, Pyrenees. There are two Shahs-those of Persia, and Afghanistan; Ontario has only 57,379 over the age of 20 who cannot read, and only three Khans of Bokhara, Khokan and Khiva; three Sultans of 93,220 who cannot write. Yet Ontario absorbs by far the greater part Turkey, Borneo, and Zanzibar; two Imauns-of Muscat and Ye- of the immigratior in which Canada participates, which must necesmen; one Khedive-of Egypt; and one Bey-of Tripoli. Of the sarily include a large number of ignorant persons. Nova Scotia and twenty Presidents, two-Marshal MacMahon, of France, and New Brunswick make a better exhibit than Quebec, but a much Buenaventura Baez, of Dominica—are only provisional. worse one than Ontario, taking population into account. There are 46,522 persons over 20 years of age who cannot write, and 31,331 who cannot read. The four counties of the Island of Cape Breton, Inverness, Victoria, Cape Breton, and Richmond, contain 19,075 persons over the age of 20 who cannot read, yet these counties do not contain over 36,000 over that age, so that it appears more than one-half of their population is steeped in densest ignorance. New Brunswick makes a better exhibit than Nova Scotia. 19,002 of our adults of 20 upwards cannot read, and 27,669 of them cannot write. St. John County with its large population might be supposed to contain the greatest number of uneducated persons, but this is by no means the case. Kent, Westmoreland, and Gloucester beat it all hollow in the number of illiterates, and Victoria with her small population is very little behind it. The combined population of Victoria, Westmoreland, and Gloucester and Kent is 78,887; the population of St. John by the census is put down at 42,120. St. John contains 3,669 people of 20 years of age and upwards who cannot read, while these four counties, with only fifty per cent. more of population, have 14,826 adults who are unable to write, and 10,789 who are unable even to read. Kent and Gloucester are the banner counties in point of illiteracy. Gloucester has a population of 18,810, yet 4,227, or about one-half of its adult population cannot write their names, and Kent with a population of 19,101 has 4,190 of its adult population in a similar state of ignorance.

4. A SCHOOL SCRAP-BOOK.

Let me make one suggestion which I have found most valuable in my school-room, and that is a scrap-book, made from newspapers and magazines. Items are to be found, in every one I take up, on all manner of subjects connected with the different countries of the world, many of which are awakening to progress and liberty from the sleep of centuries-items which are to be found in no schoolbook, and help both teacher and children to feel that the world is alive, and the country and people they are studying of in some faroff land are quite real, with their interests very closely interwoven with their own. My scrap-book tells of sleepy Turkey waking up to the necessity of railroads and the advantages she will gain therefrom; and wonderful descriptions of the Mont Cenis Tunnel, that no text-book has room for; of the visit of Shah, so romantic is its details; and yet seemingly so important in the opening of the eastern to western civilization; of Chinese fields, and Canadian salt deposits; of African adventures and discovery, and a strange journey in the heart of Asia; of Arabian deserts and curious eastern cities; of the freeing of the slaves of Brazil, and of the opening light in Japan. It has stories of life in Lapland, Siberia, Borneo, and China; it contains pictures of remarkable trees of different lands, and a real grey silky leaf from the South African forests. It relates of Amadeus' abdication, and the royal progress and coronation of the Scandinavian Monarch, King Oscar. It describes the late funeral of an Indian Prince, the Russian Ice Palace, fetes in Turkey, and wonders of South America. So it interweaves interests of to-day with every land or nation we touch upon in our geography lessons, and makes the children understand their reality and life.Selected.

These facts are so suggestive that it is unnecessary to comment on them. Need we remark that the districts which suffer most from the criminal neglect of those who should have promoted the education of their youth, are those most opposed to the free public schools of Canada? Need we remark that the Province of Quebec, which makes such a wretched exhibit, has everything it can desire in the way of educational endowments, separate schools, clerical supervision, &c.? Need we point to the fact that "godless ignorance," rather than "godless education," appears to be the prevailing evil in those parts of Canada, which are loudest in their

VII. Papers on Education in Various Countries. opposition to the free public schools of the country ?-St. John Daily

Telegraph.

3. THE OPS SCHOOL DIFFICULTY.

1. ILLITERACY IN THE UNITED STATES. The report of the United States Commissioner of Education gives the following striking statistics of illiteracy in the United States : From the legal intelligence in Monday's Globe we extract the folThere are now 3,000,000 adults, including 1,653,8000 adult ex-lowing report of a decision in the Court of Common Pleas by Chief slaves, who cannot read or write. In 1840, New Hampshire had 1,000 white persons over twenty years who could not read and write; in 1860, 5,000. Maine increased from 3,000 to 9,000 illiterate; all New England, from 14,000 to 87,000; Pennsylvania, from 36,000

Justice Hagarty and Mr. Justice Galt: Free v. McHugh.-This was an action for trespass for distress in collecting a school rate. A Protestant Separate School had been established by reason of the engagement of a R. C. teacher in the public school, A Protestant