WYANDOT COUNTY.-Our third annual institute was held the five days beginning Oct. 24th. Hon. W. D. Henkle, Commissioner of Common Schools, and Prof. A. Schuyler, of Baldwin University, were with us during the session. Rev. H. B. Fry, of Upper Sandusky, delivered a lecture on Friday evening on "Self-made Men ", which is to be published in our county papers. The entire session was one of profit to the 45 teachers present, and they will long remember the instruction received. The MONTHLY was not forgotten. On Friday a teachers' association was organized in each of the townships in the county by electing a president and secretary.

J. P. D., Sec'y.

GUERNSEY COUNTY.-The county teachers' association held successful meetings at Walaington in October, and at Cambridge in November. The exercises consisted of addresses and the discussion of topics relating to the educational interests of the county. The teachers of Guernsey belong to the army of progress.

WE have recently received notices of several institutes held in August and September. We regret that they were not sent more promptly, as it is now too late for their publication. The Darke County Institute was held at Greenville, instead of Arcanum, as stated last month.

OTHER STATES AND COUNTRIES.

MASSACHUSETTS.-Secretary White is now conducting his annual institute campaign, and reports the usual attendance and interest. The adoption of the town system, some two years ago, left the State Board no rallying school issue, and, hence, the work is quiet. The subject of drawing is now receiving much attention throughout the State.- -We had the pleasure of meeting the teachers of Springfield in one of the several fine school buildings which now adorn and bless the city. Supt. Hubbard has done an excellent work, and he has a corps of teachers of which he is justly proud.

CONNECTICUT. We recently spent two weeks in this State, and were gratified at the evident progress which has been made since our visit the year before. The Normal School, organized in 1869, has now over one hundred students, and is giving promise of high success and usefulness. We have never addressed a more thoroughly trained school, and our lectures have never been more fully "noted." The profe: sional spirit manifested was excellent. The school needs better accommodations, which will soon be provided. We attended three of the "State Institutes "-the first at Westville, near New Haven; the second at Greenville, near Norwich; and the third at Woodstock. The first two were in session but two days each, and were designed to awaken local interest. They were not largely attended by teachers. The third was a four days' institute, and was attended by some 175 teachers and school officers. They were all conducted by Secretary Northrop, under the authority of the State Board of Education, and all expenses were paid from an appropriation made by the State. This is the usual plan of conducting institutes in New England. We every where met with the evidence of the growing popularity of the free school system and its present efficient administration. Secretary Northrop is doing a great work. ALABAMA. The public school interest of Alabama is very low. The system, established two years ago, has proved nearly abortive for want of means and executive ability to sustain it. The State has a public school revenue of over $700,000, and yet no school buildings are being erected, and only about fifty per cent. of the $320,000 due teachers for services rendered the last school year, has yet been paid. In consequence of the failure to pay the full salaries of last year, very few teachers

will re-engage this fall, and only a few public schools have been opened. There are prosperous private schools, however, in all the larger towns of the State. Huntsville, in particular, supports some very good schools, several of which deserve more than a passing notice. A normal school of 150 pupils, conducted by Mrs. Wallace, assisted by Prof. A. G. Smith, is an institution of considerable merit, and is destined to accomplish a good work for Northern Alabama. There is in the place a colored normal school also, with about 120 pupils, of which Mrs. Harrington, an able and zealous teacher, is principal. A class of fifteen to twenty will graduate from this school next spring, and immediately engage in teaching. An effort will be made, at the next session of the Legislature, to secure a revision of the school law, and increase the public school means and facilities. We believe that there is educational spirit enough in Alabama to make the free-school system a success.

ARKANSAS.-Mr. O. F. Russell, superintendent of the city white schools of Helena, writes: "We are endeavoring to grade our schools and make them as efficient as possible. Last year, the first of the system, we enrolled, and taught with three teachers, 233 pupils, of all degrees of advancement, from the most primary to those prepared to enter college. Can you cite me to anything that has been published which will furnish assistance in grading and organizing a school to meet the demands of 350 pupils? We have been making considerable educational progress here within the past year, having organized a teachers' institute for Phillips county, which holds semi-annual sessions of a week. The first was held during the last Christmas holidays, enrolling about 25 teachers; the last was held the week beginning on July 4th, and enrolling about 75 teachers. Both sessions were exceedingly interesting, and the greater attendance of the last session shows a very flattering advance. There are quite a number of excellent teachers in our county, and our free school system is becoming almost universally acceptable to the people, though at first it was greatly opposed."

MISSISSIPPI. The public school system of this State is yet in embryo. A public school law was enacted last winter, providing for the appointment of a State Superintendent, a State Board of Public Instruction, County Superintendents, and County School Directors, and authorizing the county commissioners of each county to levy a tax for the support of schools, etc. These officers have been appointed and the work of organization commenced, but the progress is necessarily very slow; and but few schools will be established during this school year. The law is very defective, making but a scanty provision for the support of schools, and allowing only partial compensation to school officers, consequently little zeal is manifested in the work, and little concern felt for its success. A very large majority of the white population of the State are yet blind to the advantages of a public school system, and many bitterly oppose the attempt at organization. They regard the system as a Northern institution introduced for the purpose of promulgating Northern sentiment. The State Superintendent is an earnest, competent man, and is doing all he can to forward the work; but years will be required to surmount the obstacles in the way and fully develop the system. The State Board of Public Instruction will attempt next winter to secure a revision of the school law, so changing it as to increase their official power and enable them to operate with more efficiency. The private schools of the State, in the main, are in a deplorable condition, for the want of competent teachers and sufficient means to sustain them.

ST. LOUIS.-The salaries of principals of first class schools in St. Louis have all been fixed at $2,000, irrespective of sex. Two ladies have their salaries raised from $1,400 to $2,000 by this action of the board of education.

WEST VIRGINIA ITEMS.

INSTITUTES. Of the institutes not already mentioned in the MONTHLY, that at Phillippi, in Barbour county, was poorly attended, but a new interest was inspired in those who did attend. At Fetterman the attendance was altogether unworthy of prosperous Taylor county; trust she will do better another time. At Moundsville the county superintendent was present only one-half day. The beginning was unpromising the end cheering. A purse of fifty dollars was presented to Prof. Woodruff at the close. The Preston County Institute was a medium success. Miss Harn's Illustrative Lessons were much applauded. Profs. McLaughlin and Lininger had a rather rough time at Harrisville, in Ritchie county, and in Wetzel county, but made substantial progress, and their teaching was appreciated. The Ravenswood Institute, in Jackson county, was a decided success, and will tell in the future. Supt. McMillan is a model at arrangements. At Harper's Ferry a few earnest souls were found. The great flood materially affected this institute-carrying away the house in which it was held, before its sessions were concluded. The Circleville Institute was profitable. At some of the later institutes, Supt. Gould, of Upshur, who has in his county one of the best trained bands of teachers in the State, did effective service. State Superintendent Williams attended most of these institutes, and, at each one attended, he presented the character and claims of the school system, and the kind of schools it aims to provide, in addresses to promiscuous audiences. These addresses were generally well spoken of by the newspapers.

DEAF, DUMB, AND BLIND ASYLUM.-This institution, recently established at Romney, in Hampshire county, has already its full complement of pupils-showing how great was the necessity for it. A recent exhibition of the progress of the pupils, during only six weeks of training, exhibited astonishingly gratifying results. Prof. Hollister, the principal, recently from Columbus, Ohio, seems to be the right man in the right place, and Prof. Johnson, the teacher of the Blind, is himself almost a miracle of genius aud persisting endeavor, and pre-eminently fitted for his position. All the teachers and officers appear to be working harmoniously and effectively, and the citizens are enthusiastic in cherishing the institution among them.

MOOREFIELD-CHANGE.-Opposition to the school system has always been strong in Hardy county. Recently all the townships in the county voted against the school levy, thus virtually destroying the system in the county. But in Moorefield township, the county town, the sober, second, and better thought prevailed. A second meeting was called. The solid men attended-some of whom, though they had very heavy taxes to pay, had no children of their own to school. Selfishness was on one side; public spirit and philanthropy on the other. The latter prevailed. Not a vote was given against the school system. The former action was reconsidered, and the levy made. A few evenings after, a very large gathering of ladies and gentlemen assembled at the court-house to listen to the State Superintendent, who, though jaded with a forty-mile horse-back ride that day, enjoyed speaking to so large and appreciative an audience. The county superintendent says he now feels for the first time that he has the support of the leading men of the county. No town in the county will again vote against the schools.

OHIO COUNTY.-The public schools of this county are, so far as we have heard, in charge of good teachers, and are making progress. A normal institute meets every alternate Saturday at West Liberty, and is attended by all the students of the Normal School (now fifty-six) and by a number of teachers in the vicinity. The exercises consist of drills with primary classes from the public schools of the place, lectures, discussions, etc.

ΒΟΟΚ ΝΟTICES.

THE ELEMENTS OF NATURAL PHILOSOPHY. BY SIDNEY A. NORTON, A.M. Cincinnati: Wilson, Hinkle & Co.

This book is a late addition to the Eclectic Series, and like all of its immediate predecessors, in mechanical and artistic execution, is a beautiful book. In writing it, the author evidently intended to make it available as a text-book. In doing so, while he desired to make it attractive and fresh, by the introduction of the latest methods and inventions, it was not his design to neglect cardinal principles or timehonored theories simply because "a former generation of pupils studied them." His consistency is exhibited in his adherence to the title "Natural Philosophy," but in the very first sentence in his book he declares that the work is the result of many years' experience in teaching "Physics." Would not this be a better title for the book than the one used?

A somewhat hurried examination has led me to believe that the author gives us a really valuable work on this most attractive branch of Natural Science. The following are a few of the points which attracted my attention:

He does well to throw away the old classification of the subject, and include under one general head the Mechanics of Solids, of Liquids and of Gases. The subject of Friction is more carefully and thoroughly treated than in any other school text-book with which I am acquainted. Galileo's simple and elegant experiment showing the acceleration of motion by gravity, instead of the methods contrived by Atwood and Moriu or Poncelet, is given, the author very properly observing that the latter methods are of little value without the very expensive apparatus for illustration. The discussion of the Pendulum is valuable and exhaustive, that is as far as may be in a book for students with but little mathematical knowledge. In his treatment of Momentum and vis viva, the author has been unfortunate in his use of the terms quantity and intensity of force, applying quantity to vis viva, and intensity to momentum. The law for terrestrial gravity is not correctly stated; indeed, it is a rare thing to find a text-book on Physics in which this is not the case. It is somewhat perplexing to the student to find the fact of the variation in weight of bodies contrary to the law as he learns it in his text-book.

A feature which is worthy of commendation is the introduction of a separate discussion of the Theory of Undulation, preparatory to the treatment of Heat, Light, and Electricity. Under the head of Acoustics, I have only the fault of too great brevity to find. Many things of interest are missed from this portion of the subject, and especially is it to be regretted that there is no description whatever of the organ of hearing. What the author has done in Acoustics, he has done well. Attention might be particularly called to the Theory of Musical Chords, &c. In his remarks as to the velocity of sound, he is careful to notice that all sounds do not travel at absolutely the same velocity. This is a fact well worthy our attention. It is well known that the sound of thunder will travel faster than gentler sounds. The author mentions that it has been noticed that the report of a cannon would sometimes be heard before the command "fire." The only instance of this of which I have ever heard, was remarked by Capt. Parry in some observations made in his second voyage. The stations were so near that the human voice ceuld be heard, and the remark was that the officer's command could be heard about three-eighths of a second after the report of the cannon. Prof. Airy remarks that the acceleration arising from the greater displacement of the particles could not possibly have amounted to 200 feet; and he seems to consider the phenomenon entirely physiological. Hu says that when a violent or sudden noise is heard, it is preceded by the perception of a shock throughout the bodily frame. This shock must have

been mistaken for the sound itself. We heartily commend the author's remarks as to the insulation of Lightning Conductors, but apprehend that his recommendation that several points should project from various places on the roof, "all connected so as to form one or more conducting systems," might be so construed as to lead to dangerous consequences. One of the commonest sources of danger from lightning is the custom of having two or more points attached to one rod; but this is no argument against having many rods. One of the most valuable features of the book is at the close, in the shape of a list of exercises and problems calculated to familiarize the pupil with the subject matter. This, in the hands of thorough teachers, will prove to be one of the most excellent things about this excellent book.

T. C. M.

A TREATISE ON ELEMENTARY GEOMETRY with appendices containing a collection of Exercises for Students and an Introduction to Modern Geometry. By WILLIAM CHAUVENET, LL.D., Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy in Washington University. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co.

After a careful study of this work, I can conscientiously say that I can heartily recommend it to teachers who wish to rise above elementary principles, and acquaint themselves with the modern improvements in this noble science. Even if they do not think it possible or expedient to use it as a text-book, yet they should study it for themselves, according to Pestalozzi's maxim, "that a teacher should be able to soar above his subject." Hitherto it has been thought sufficient to go through Euclid's Elements (that precious legacy from antiquity!) in the form published by Davies, with the improvements by the French mathematicians up to Legendre, or the far superior work of Loomis. But, since Legendre, geometry has not stood still; the somewhat desultory disposition of theorems has been systematized; complex and wordy demonstrations have been simplified; weak links in the chain of reasoning have been strengthened; gaps filled up; and now geometry presents a much more winning aspect than when I studied it fifty years ago in the literal translation from the original Greek. He who would form an idea of the fair proportions of simplicity, method, and beauty which it has assumed on the continent of Europe, must turn from our old-fashioned text-books to the beautiful work published six years ago by Eli Tappan now President of Kenyon College, or to this, the latest exposition of the continental system. Many will perhaps prefer Chauvenet's to Tappan's, because his demonstrations and general plan do not deviate so widely from Davies or Loomis. Besides the systematic plan of discussing, first the properties of lines, then of triangles, next polygons, etc., necessitating new modes of demonstration in the earlier theorems, I would call attention to special points of interest: 1. The division of each book into sections. 2. (p. 147) The inscribing of a decagon in a circle. This, regarded as one of the most beautiful problems in the old geometry, exhibits here a perfect specimen of analytic reasoning. 3. (p. 149) A beautiful theorem-the area of an inscribed dodecagon is equal to three times the square of the radius. 4. (p.150) The series of theorems connected with the measurement of the circle, substituting the perimeter for the area, with a section on the Doctrine of Limits, making the course of reasoning much more strictly logical. 5. (p. 166) A section on Maxima and Minima. 6. The VIth Book on the geometry of planes is very full and clear, perhaps rather prolix. It would be a great improvement in this and the following books, if the figures were shaded, and, when needful, were repeated on the other side of the page. I suppose that the using of A, B, C, etc., A', B', C', etc., or else a, b, c, etc. in the same figure, is all right; but, when many such letters are used, it becomes very confusing. 7. (p. 248) An ingenious method of determining the radius of a sphere. 8. In many cases I would have given additional demonstrations, in order to train the taste, as well as the logical faculty of the students, by giving them the opportunity of comparing one demonstration with another, and determining their relative beauty.