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EVERY subject, no matter what, should be studied exhaustively. We do not mean by this that time should be consumed to bring out all the minor and unimportant details, but that the important points should be fully discussed, and that when a subjeet has been studied it should be reviewed by singling out the most important points and placing them in shape to be easily remembered.- The Normal Teacher.

THE METRIC SYSTEM.-It may not be generally known that we have, in the nickel five cent piece of our coinage, a key to the tables of linear measure and of weights. The diameter of this coin is two centimeters, and its weight is five grammes. Five of them placed in a row will, of course, give the length of the decimeter; and two of them will weigh a decagramme. As the kiloliter is a cubic meter, the key to the measure of length is also the key to measures of capacity. Any person, therefore, who is fortunate enough to own a five cent nickel may carry in his pocket the entire metric system of weights and measures.

EDUCATIONAL NOTES.

-The death in London of William Hepworth Diedon, historian and traveller, and for many years editor of the Athenæum, in the fifty-ninth year of his age, is announced. The cause of his death was

apoplexy.

-It is said that Leonard Case, the Cleveland millionaire who recently committed suicide, had previously put into the hands of a trustee $1,500,000 for the erection of the "Case School of Applied Sciences" in Cleveland.

-Frank Leslie, the well known publisher, died in New York on the 10th January.

-The late Wm. L. Ripley, of Columbus, O., left $75,000 to the Ohio Wesley University.

-Prof. Wm. Taylor Thom, of Hollins Institute, had his knee dislocated by colliding with a tree while out riding near the institute recently. His condition at last accounts was critical.

-The Boston Society for the Encouragement of Studies at Home had on its books last year 869 students, 370 taking the course in English literature.

-The colored Baptists of Atlanta, Ga., have just dedicated a seminary building, which cost $6,000, and is all paid for, thanks to the

vigorous efforts of Rev. Frank Quarles, a colored pastor of the city, and the help of the American Baptist Home Mission Society.

--The National Journal of Education shows that, while our school system covers on paper a period of fifteen years, from five to twenty years of age, the vast majority of the children do not receive more than six years, or 6,000 hours, of instruction; and that after all the reductions are made, "the average workman's child has not more than 5,000 hours in his life for that training and instruction in school which shall qualify him for the common duties of American citizenship." This in reply to a charge that the graded-school system of our cities is wasting the time of the children of the working classes, which should be occupied in industrial training.

-Prof. B. J. Radford read a paper on Denominational Schools at the recent annual meeting of the State Teachers Association of Illinois. He would give the public schools exclusive jurisdiction over the children for the first five years. After that the denominational school should have a chance to make itself felt. He eulogized the public schools in glowing terms but thought them inadequate to the complete work of education.

-Supt. W. T. Harris of St. Louis has notified the school authorities that he will not be a candidate for re-election at the close of his present term of office. It is understood that he proposes to devote himself to the study of philosophy and to writing on philosophical subjects. Supt. Harris is one of the foremost educators in this country. It is a pity for such men to abandon the profession.

-The Department of Superintendence of the National Education Association will hold a special meeting in Washington, D. C., beginning February 19th. The programme has been published, and indicates a discussion of many of the important subjects now agitating the public mind from an educational standpoint, by some of the most experienced and successful educators in the United States. Every State Superintendent is expected to be present either in person or by proxy. One of the important projects before the meeting will be the distribution of the proceeds of the public lands among the several states for educational purposes.

-The trustees of the Peabody Fund will meet in Washington on the 18th February.

-GRAND EXCURSIONS TO EUROPE AND THE EAST.-An advertisement of Dr. Tourjée's third annual series of Educational Tours appears in another column. The excursions to be made through Europe the coming Summer are to be more extended and more

attractive than ever, and there is also to be a grand tour of Egypt and the Holy Land. Many European cities not previously visited by the excursion parties, including Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig, Prague, Vienna and other great centres are to be included in the grand round, and longer stops will be made in Paris and London. The choice of two Eastern trips is given, and both have been planned with great Dr. Tourjée will send an explanatory pamphlet free upon application.

care.

EDITORIAL PARAGRAPHS.

THE one thing essential to a good school is a suitable teacher. No school can be a success that fails in this particular. To the success of a system of schools no officer is more necessary than the one who sees the working of each individual school and can so direct and unify courses of instruction, processes and methods as to bring together in a harmonious combination so many different elements, while allowing to the teacher of each school the largest individual freedom. Our superintendents, city and county, perform this office, and to none is the success of the system due in greater measure. Indeed, it would be exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to conduct our school operations in any systematic manner without the aid of these officers. With a legislature that is a unit in its devotion to the public school interests, whose every member, of whatever party, has set himself squarely on this platform-with a Superintendent whose fitness is unquestioned, and whose devotion is attested by years of arduous toil-with county and city superintendents competent and ready to do everything to improve the condition of the schools-with teachers adapted to their work and conscientiously striving to meet its high requirements our schools ought to begin on a new career of prosperity, and bring new treasures of mental and moral wealth to the State.

WE desire to direct attention to the advertisement of Mr. S. T. Pendleton in this issue, of his method of map-drawing. The system has been in use in the Richmond schools for a number of years and has produced highly satisfactory results. The maps drawn by the pupils of the Richmond public schools at the Fair last Fall were drawn by this method and were greatly admired. The method of drawing parallels and meridians has been so simplified that each pupil draws them for himself. The system combines simplicity with the

many and obvious advantages of using the ordinary geographical lines.

SOME of our readers have failed to understand our offer in reference to clubbing with other periodicals. Let us illustrate: the price of The Living Age, for example, is $8 a year; we propose to furnish that and the JOURNAL for one year at $8.25—thus giving the two periodicals at only a slight advance on the price of one. Or better, the price of Harper's Magazine is $4; we propose to give both Harper and the JOURNAL for $4. It affords us pleasure to be able to offer our regular subscribers these advantages; it would be no less pleasing if the inducements thus offered contributed also to increase the circulation of the Journal.

BOOK NOTICES.

WELLS'S NATURAL PHILOSOPHY. For the use of Schools, Academies and Private Students. By DAVID A. WELLS. New Edition. Carefully revised and re-edited in accordance with the latest results of scientific discovery and research. By WORTHINGTON C. FORD. With many new engravings. New York and Chicago: Ivison, Blakeman, Taylor & Co. 1879.

We have received from the publishers a copy of this work, issued in their usual excellent style. Wells has been in use for more than twenty years, and has found large favor. The present revision brings the work up to date in regard to discoveries and advances made in physics. The numerous well executed illustrations are well adapted to make clear to the reader the statements of the text. These statements are full and lucid. The book forms a complete and satisfactory text-book for the grade of schools for which it is designed. Our teachers of natural science would do well to give it an examination.

THE SCIENCE OF EDUCATION; or THE PHILOSOPHY OF HUMAN CULTURE. BY JOHN OGDEN, A. M., author of "Art of Teaching," "Outlines of Pedagogical Science," etc. Van Antwerp, Bragg & Co., Cincinnati and New York.

THE ART OF TEACHING. By JOHN OGDEN, A. M., Principal of the Ohio Central Normal School; author of "Science of Education," "Outlines of Pedagogical Science," etc. Van Antwerp, Bragg & Co., Cincinnati and New York. The author presents in the two books before us the conclusions he has reached from a quarter of a century's study, and labor in normal schools and teachers institutes. The former, The Science of Education, takes for its basis that man is created with educational susceptibilities or capacities; that suited to the exact nature of these, there are educational instrumentalities or forces; and, superadded to these, that there are certain and right modes or processes of applying these forces to the capacities. The educational capacities-physical, intellectual, and moral-during the periods of child life, called, according to our author's classification, the objective, transition and subjective

periods, are considered. Then the educational forces that may be brought into play during these same periods are examined. Then follows a consideration of educational processes, or the adaptation of these forces to the capacities of the child. And the discussion is closed by a more condensed and connected view of the three departments of education—the physical, intellectual, and moral and religious.

The latter volume-The Art of Teaching-deals exclusively with those questions and duties that relate to the teacher's work, such as organization, study, recitation, government, etc., with some special methods of teaching the branches themselves. The author has placed at the beginning of each chapter a carefully arranged diagram of its contents, so that a glance will furnish a view of the general scope of the entire chapter. Both volumes contain much that is helpful, and form a valuable addition to the list of books on pedagogics. Price, $1.00; by mail, $1.17.

In the NORTH AMERICAN REVIEW for February the first article is by Cardinal Manning, and treats of the relation of the Roman Catholic Church to modern society. The eminent author simply essays to determine "what can be and what ought to be the relations between the Church and the political society of the world in the nineteenth century." Ex-Senator Howe contributes a pungent article entitled "The Third Term." The article is essentially an effort to show that in the "Springer Res. olution," which denounced as dangerous to our free institutions any departure from the precedent set by Washington when he declined a third term in the presidency, are comprised "a grave indictment of the Federal Constitution, a gross libel upon its framers, a base counterfeit of our political history, and a wanton insult to our common sense." Rear-Admiral Daniel Ammen makes reply to M. de Lesseps' article on the American Interoceanic Canal. George Augustus Sala contributes an entertaining article entitled "Now and Then in America," "now" being this present year of grace, and "then" 1863, the third year of our Civil War. In "The Emancipation Proclamation," by James C. Welling, the considerations which forced Mr. Lincoln to issue that memorable proclamation as a measure of political expediency are set forth. The author furthermore discusses the legal effect of the proclamation, its constitutionality, etc. In his opinion the validity of the edict was not derived from law or constitution: the act" moved above law in the plane of statecraft:" it was a coup d'état, and its justification is to be found in its end, which was the salus populi. The book notices of this number of the Review are from the pen of M. W. Hazeltine. The Review is for sale by booksellers and newsdealers generally.

POPULAR SCIENCE Monthly for FEBRUARY. Contents:-The Origin of Criminal Law, by William W. Billson; Saporta's World of Plants before the Appearance of Man, (Illustrated); How Typhoid Fever is conveyed, by Dr. T. J. Maclagan; Han. overian Village Life, by Walter Nordhoff; Maps and Map-making before Mercator, by Charles P. Daly, LL. D., (Illustrated); Ancient Methods of Filtration, by Prof. H. Carrington Bolton, Ph. D.; John Stuart Mill, VI, by Alexander Bain, LL. D.; Imperfections of Modern Harmony, by S. Austen Pearce, Mus. D., Oxon; Daylight in the Schoolroom, by M. Javal; Hygiene in the Higher Education of Women, by A. Hughes Bennett, M. D.; Artesian Wells and the Great Sahara, by Lieutenant Seaton Schroeder, U. S. N.; The Origin of the Gypsies; Prehistoric Records; Sketch of Benjamin Silliman, (with portrait); Correspondence; Editor's Table; Literary Notices; Popular Miscellany; Notes.

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