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Free Hand and Mechanical Drawing and the Elements of Descriptive Geometry will soon be well taught in the best schools, and we shall be relieved of most of our first year's work in these subjects.

Believing that these changes will be for the elevation of all the schools involved, we earnestly ask the aid of our fellow teachers in making them a reality.

Discipline. The discipline consists almost entirely in the examinations, all of which are written. The intermediate examinations are those which are held once in about four weeks and occupy one hour, the time of the ordinary exercises. No time is allowed for preparation for these examinations, nor are they allowed to interfere with, the current work in any department. The papers are carefully read and marked on a scale of 100. The marks are recorded, and also communicated to the students for their information and guidance. Besides the above, there are the semi-annual and annual examinations. While these are in progress all the exercises of the school are suspended. The position of the student is determined by these examinations. At the semi-annual examinations the record is, passed, passed with conditions, can continue as a special, and dropped. At the annual examinations the record is, passed, passed with conditions, can continue as a special, must repeat the year, and dropped.

Department of Military Science and Tactics. This department has always labored under two serious difficulties; (1), the want of a fixed policy to guide and limit it, and (2), the want of a suitable hall, conveniently situated, in which to give the practical, and by far the most important part of the instruc

tion.

It ought perhaps to have been expected that a subject, entering so little into the main purposes of the school, would be simply tolerated, rather than welcomed, by both teachers and pu

pils; and that this want of sympathy should have given rise to ́ more care and anxiety than has been demanded by any other department. On this account, also, there has been a wide diversity of opinion as to the exact place it ought to hold in our scheme, and particularly with what detail and rigor the instruction should be given. These have been the vexed questions upon which the Faculty have year after year deliberated; only to find, that no sooner was one settled, than another equally important in the opinion of some one, would arise to take its place. Thus, year by year, had we approximated towards a practical solution of the problem, when, as you are aware, the whole subject was put into the hands of a special committee whose able report adopted June 16, I include for the information and guidance of all concerned. The conclusions were only reached after a careful consideration of all the questions involved, and with the aid of all the experience which the Faculty could offer; and I believe that the opinion entertained by some, that our school was becoming too military in its character has had no foundation in the past, and will have none in the future, other than that which can be fairly drawn from the facts and conclusions of the report. There has been no intention on the part of any one, so far as I know, or even wish, to give the military element undue prominence and importance, much less to convert our school into a military one.

My only desire has been to make it as efficient and valuable as possible, within the limits assigned to it. This has been simply my duty in the matter, and in short the only course which could prevent the department from becoming a demoralization and disgrace to the Institute.

The want of a suitable hall for drill, which could be reached without loss of time, and without discomfort in bad weather, has been a constant source of trouble and embarrassment to the department. This want was carefully considered by the committee and the plan submitted and adopted as the one, which upon the whole, seemed most feasible to meet the pressing

emergency, was carried out during the summer vacation; and I now have the pleasure of reporting that we have an excellent building 155 feet long by 50 feet in width, and one story in height, covered with corrugated iron and a slated roof, containing a light and well ventilated drill-hall, with ample space for gun-racks, wardrobes for uniforms, and boxes for those who use the gymnasium.

Physiology and Hygiene. A large number of our students live on the lines of the railroads leading into Boston, and find it convenient to remain in town all day. They must therefore either dine in the city or bring a lunch, which for the sake of economy is done by the larger number. The result is that these students remain in the building all day, and seldom take the proper exercise, and in bad weather none, except what is got in travelling to and from their rooms, or homes. This want of exercise and a proper midday meal, taken at the right time and under favorable conditions, is having effect upon the health of our students, and is a much more serious matter than hard study. Where the health of one student is injured simply by over study, the health of many is injured by want of exercise, or other preventable causes, while over study is usually the only cause assigned. It is true that each class hears an excellent course of lectures on Physiology and Hygiene, but it is to be feared that too few make a personal application of what is taught them, and thus fail to gain what this instruction is mainly intended to impart. I am deeply impressed with the conviction that a radical change in this department is necessary, and that the laboratory system is quite as important in this as in other departments of the school. To make the instruction of the greatest value to each student it must be applied practically in each case; and while I am not now prepared to advocate a compulsory system of gymnastics, I am satisfied that incalculable good would come from a more personal application of the instruction, with opportunities for

systematic exercise under the direction, not of a mere gymnast, but of a physician who had made this application a matter of special study. If our students lived in dormitories, as at most colleges, or so near each other that their spare time could be spent in out-door athletic sports, the case would be somewhat different; but there is probably hardly another school in the country where the students are so thoroughly scattered, and such exercise had, if at all, at so great disadvantage.

Our only remedy therefore, in addition to what is afforded by the drill to only a portion of our students, is a gymnasium. I take advantage of the delay in the issue of this report to briefly indicate what has been already done in this direction. When the drill-hall was finished we took immediate steps to fit it as a gymnasium. The apparatus which could be best placed against the wall is fixed; but that occupying the central portions of the hall is so arranged, that it can readily be raised a sufficient height from the floor as not to interfere with the drill. By this means the hall has been made equally available for both uses. This gymnasium is open to all the students from early morning till 9 o'clock in the evening. We have also availed ourselves of the opportunity which the drill-hall has afforded us to establish, by way of experiment, a lunch room, where professors and students and their friends can get a well-cooked and well-served dinner or lunch, as desired, at a very reasonable cost; so reasonable as to induce those who have depended upon a cold lunch to do so no longer. Dinners, or lunches, are served from 12-30 to 3 P. M., during which time all can be accommodated. Dinners consisting of soup, fish, meat or poultry, dessert, and a cup of tea or coffee, is served for 35 cents, and a lunch at a correspondingly low rate.

In this matter the Institute assumes no responsibility or expense, except that no charge is made for rent or for fuel used in cooking. We fix the prices charged; and the quality of the food, the cooking, and the manner of serving, must be satisfactory to us. In spite of the imperfect conveniences, the ex

periment thus far has been unexpectedly successful; and if it shall continue equally so in the future, it will be desirable to provide better accommodations, which can readily be done at a very small expense. Then good board can be obtained at from three dollars to three and one-half a week. I trust that those members of the Corporation who have not already done so, the will make a personal examination of this matter, and thus be able the better to judge of its importance and bearing upon welfare of the school.

I cannot close without acknowledging the energy and zeal of Lieut. Zalinski in the erection of the drill-hall, and his valuable service in equipping the gymnasium, and superintending the lunch room experiment.

Lowell School of Industrial Design. In my last report a pretty full account of the establishment of this important department was given, with such indications of success as so short an experiment seemed to justify. Although a good proportion of the students of the First Year returned, it was by no means sure that their zeal and perseverance would not flag before they were at all qualified to enter upon their professional work with a fair prospect of success. Second Year have fully realized all reasonable expectations, as I think the facts set forth in Mr. Kastner's report show. In another year some of the students will probably complete the prescribed course and be entitled to the proper diploma, or certificate of proficiency.

But the results of the

The Zoological and Paleontological Laboratory. This laboratory has been fitted up in the building of the Boston Society of Natural History for the joint use of the Society and the Institute. Here Professor Hyatt gives his instruction in Palæontology, and also his course in Comparative Zoology, in the third year, and the laboratory work of the fourth year to students in the course of Natural History. This gives the best