Farming for March: "The War with the Insects," Dwight Sanderson; "Testing of Corn for Seed," Prof. A. N. Hume; "The Price of Success in Western Canada," Agnes C. Lant. Science for March 29: "The Factors of Safety in Animal Structure and Animal Economy," S. J. Meltzer; "The Limitations of Isolation in the Origin of Species," C. A. Kofoid; "Note on a Tertiary Basin in Northern Alaska," E. M. Kindle. For March 15: "River Capture in the Tallulah District, Georgia," D. W. Johnson. March 22: "Clocks-Ancient and Modern," W. S. Eichelberger: "Henri Moissan," C. G. Doremus.

School World for March: "The Metric System," by R. Wyke Bayliss; "Recent Contributions to the Study of Chemical Change," by W. A. Davis; "The Best Curricula for Secondary Schools," by G. McCroben.

Nature Study Review for February: "Practical Work with Mosquitoes," C. F. Hodge. "Children's Gardens," G. H. Trafton: "Home Gardens in Cleveland," Lucy C. Buell; "Agriculture in Public Schools," W. C. Latta. Monthly Weather Review for December, 1906: "Salton Sea and the Rainfall of the Southwest." A. J. Henry: "Changes of Latitude and Climate," "Villards Theory of the Aurora," W. R. Blair; "Problems in Meteorology," C. F. von Hermann.

Scientific American for March 23: "Controlling Torpedoes by Wireless Telegraphy," "Autogenous Welding with the Oxy-Acetylene High Pressure Blowpipe." March 16: "Tablet Writings from the Ruins of Nippur," "Carborundum and Silicon Detectors for Wireless Telegraphy," "Leducs Artificial Plants and Cells." For March 30: "The Story of Malaria," by L. H. Yates: "A New High Speed Photographic Shutter," "Pierre Berthelot," "Metallic Sodium as a Conductor for Electric Currents."

Ores and Metals for March 30: "Placer Mining Hints," "Characteristics of Building Stones," "Points on Zinc Metallurgy.'"

American Inventor for March: "Our Forests," by W. Fawcett; "Oregon's Nickel Deposits," "Day and Night in the Polar Circle," by F. R. Hovey. Technical World for April: "To Unite a Hundred Rivers," Frank A. Briggs: "Farmer Fears Weeds no Longer." May Wood-Simons; "Vast Profits in the Golden Goat," René Bache; "To Save the World from Famine." F. A. Talbot; "Last Days of the Fur-Seal," P. T. McGrath; "Cutting Steel by Electricity," J. Mayne Baltimore; "Sunlight Made to Order," Eugene Shade Bisbee; "Prairies Spout Great Riches," Geo. W. Harper; "From Sheet Steel to Bathtub in Six Minutes," James Cooke Mills; "Plants Under Acetylene Sunshine," William T. Walsh.

Photo Era for March: "A Plea for the Stereopticon," by W. Green; "A Practical Introduction to Lantern Slide Making," by T. Perkins.

Reviews of Reviews for April: "The Doctor in the Public School," by J. J. Cronin, M.D.: "The Making of a Forest Ranger," by Arthur Chapman; "The Revolution in Chicago's Judicial System," by Stanley Waterloo; "Reducing the Railroad Death Rate." by Arthur M'Tavish; "Railway Ac cidents and Personnel," by W. W. Randall; "Psychology of Railroad Accidents," by C. R. Keyes.

Scientific American Supplement for March 30: "The Fight Against Yellow Fever." "Light and Illumination," "The Buried Cities of Ceylon." For March 23: "Hybridization of Oaks." For March 16: "The Distillation and Rectification of Alcohol," "The Electrification of the Simplon Tunnel Railroad." For March 9: "The Technology and Use of Peat." For April 6: "The Deserts of Nevada and the Death Valley," "The New Inland Sea," "The Planet Mars as Revealed by Recent Observations."

Physical Review for March: "Modifications of the Maxwell-Rayleigh and the Anderson Methods for the Measurement of the Coefficient of Self-induction," "The Absorption of Hydrogen by Metal Films," "On the Susceptibility of Mixtures of Salt Solutions," "Researches on the Forms and Stability of Aëroplanes," "On the Nature of Optical Images," "Radiation from Selectively Reflecting Bodies."

School Review for April: "The Difficulty of the High School Library, and a Suggestion," "A Successful High School Library," "My Struggle with the Italian Language and the Morals I Drew from It for the Teaching of Mathematics," "The Standardization of the New England High Schools." The Open Court for April: "The History of Spectacles," (illustrated); "In the Mazes of Mathematics: Geometric Puzzles."

REPORT OF THE MEETING OF THE NEW JERSEY SCIENCE

TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION.

The second meeting of the New Jersey Science Teachers' Association was held at Rutgers College, New Brunswick, in January. A constitution was adopted and the following program carried out:

Mr. J. E. Peabody of the New York City Schools gave a paper on the Course in Biology in the New York State Schools. He traced the history of Biology teaching in the schools of New York City and gave the following outline as a sample of the work that is being done there:

BIOLOGY I.

Flowers, 18 lessons; trees, 5 lessons; fruits and seed dispersal, 8 lessons; topics in Physics and Chemistry, 10 lessons; food tests, 6 lessons; seeds and seedlings, 15 lessons; roots, 5 lessons; stems, 7 lessons; leaf structure and food manufacture, 5 lessons; Cryptogams (Yeast, Bacteria, Spirogyra), 10 lessons.

A. Animal Studies.

BIOLOGY II.

Insects (locust, bee, butterfly), 15 lessons; crayfish, 9 lessons; earth, worm, 5 lessons; amoeba and paramoecium, 5 lessons; frog, 12 lessons. B. Human Physiology.

Foods, 8 lessons; digestion and absorption, 10 lessons; blood, 4 lessons; circulation, 10 lessons; respiration, 4 lessons; bacteria and sanitation, 7 lessons. (Throughout the study of human physiology emphasis is laid on the physiological importance of proper food, air, exercise and rest.) Prof. F. C. Van Dyck of Rutgers College gave an address on "The Teaching of Mechanics." He emphasized the need of thorough preparation in Mechanics as a basis for further work in College. He showed how one subject, that of leverage, might be presented so as to enforce the necessity of keeping the conceptions of work and energy uppermost. He showed several pieces of apparatus to illustrate his points: "Tiptoe Apparatus," a suspended model of a boat, to illustrate the leverage of an oar, and a fixed pulley by which one may lift himself.

Mr. H. M. Campbell of Long Branch demonstrated a piece of apparatus for the teaching of light, in which the path of reflected and refracted rays under various conditions could be plainly seen.

After luncheon a visit was made to the model farm, where Director Voorhes explained the purpose of the courses and referred especially to the short courses in Agriculture which have been recently instituted during the winter for the benefit of farmers and others who are not able to take the full course.

In the afternoon, Dr. Smith of Rutgers College, State Entomologist, read a paper on "How Entomology Might be Taught." In order to test the capabilities of observation of his pupils it is his custom to hand the student a large beetle and ask him to describe it. From this a teacher may judge what further directions each pupil needs. Taking the house fly as an example he suggested that the following lessons might be learnt from it.

1st. The division of the body into three regions may be clearly brought out.

2nd. The jointed character of the leg is clearly defined. In this connection a study may be made of the mode of walking.

3rd. The veined character of the insect wing is easily shown.

4th. The feeding habits of the fly may be studied and the structure of its feeding organs.

5th. The compound eyes and antennæ may be studied, and the fly's senses of vision, touch and smell tested.

6th. A careful study will reveal individual differences between various flies. There is quite an opportunity to test the sensitiveness of the fly, but these experiments are not adapted for younger pupils.

7th. The development of the fly is rapid and may be easily watched. 8th. The maggot illustrates adaptations to surroundings.

9th. The change from larva to pupa furnishes an instructive lesson. 10th. The hibernation in the adult state is a necessity from its life history. The bee was suggested as another insect which might be studied with profit and interest.

On account of the lateness of the hour the paper by Mr. A. T. Seymour on "What the Association May Do for Science Teaching," was omitted. For the evening, the New Jersey State Microscopic Society arranged a special program for the benefit of the members of the Science Teachers Association.

The next meeting of the Association will be held in the spring at Princeton University. GILBERT H. TRAFTON, Secretary.

ASSOCIATION OF TEACHERS OF MATHEMATICS IN THE MIDDLE STATES AND MARYLAND.

The eighth meeting of the Association was held in Teachers College, New York City, Saturday, April 6, 1907. Fifty new members joined the Association.

Official announcement was made of the organization of two new sections. The Pittsburg Section was organized January 25 under the following officers: President, John J. Quinn, Scottdale, Pa.; Secretary and Treasurer, J. Buell Snyder, Perryopolis, Pa.; Executive Committee, F. G. Masters, John H. Bortz, and J. H. Eisenhauer. The section has held two profitable meetings and the work of the Association is exciting a keen interest among the progressive teachers of Western Pennsylvania. The Rochester Section was organized February 23d, 1907. An account of the initial meeting was given in the April number of SCHOOL SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS.

The officers of the Section are President, Arthur S. Gale, Rochester; Vice-President, Charles C. Grove, Clinton; Secretary, Fred L. Lamson, Rochester; Executive Committee, Edward D. Graber, Geneseo, and William Betz, Rochester. Meetings will be held on the second Saturday of October, February, and April.

In addition to the reports from the newly organized sections, the older sections of the Association at Philadelphia and at New York presented reports showing energetic and helpful work.

After minor matters of business were transacted, the following papers were read:

1. Some Problems in the Teaching of Elementary Mathematics, George H. Hallett, University of Pennsylvania.

2. Zero and Infinity: William H. Maltbie, The Woman's College, Baltimore.

3. The History of Computation (Illustrated): David Eugene Smith. Teachers College, New York.

4. The Early Mathematical Instruments in Modern High School Teaching: William E. Stark, Ethical Culture School, New York.

Professor Hallett found the best remedy for the weakness and faults of secondary and college students in mathematics to be a more thorough training of the teacher in both pure and applied mathematics and in the art of teaching.

Dr. Maltbie called attention to many inaccurate and inconsistent statements in current text-books in the treatment of Zero, Infinity and Limits.

The illustrated talks of Dr. David Eugene Smith and Principal William E. Stark were of great practical interest. Dr. Smith briefly traced the history of counting, and his slides were views of ancient tablets, manuscripts and text-books. Views of mechanical devices used in Eastern Countries for the simple calculations of buying and selling were also shown and contrasted with them were the modern machines in common use in the counting rooms of banks and large corporations. Dr. Smith suggested the question, "Must not the school room in the near future contain such appliances among its equipment?"

Mr. Stark's slides, like those of Dr. Smith, were chiefly reproductions of illustrations found in old manuscripts and early text-books. They suggested how the ancient forms of astrolabe, quadrants and crossstaves could be used to impress the principles of Geometry in the solution of practical problems. Mr. Stark also exhibited models of such instruments constructed by his pupils. J. T. RORER, Secretary.

MATHEMATICAL NOTE.

The State Teachers Association of Wisconsin has just published as Bulletin of Information. No. 14, a committee report on The Content of Algebra for High Schools. The Bulletin is issued under the authority of State Superintendent C. P. Cary. The committee that drew the report consisted of the following persons: Jos. V. Collins, Ch.; C. F. Viebahn; E. B. Skinner; Richard E. Krug; H. L. Terry.

The Bulletin makes a neat little pamphlet of 11 pages. The sugges tions and recommendations of the committee are included under the captions:

(1) What to omit from the First-Year Course;

(2) What to insert in the First-Year Course; and

(3) In the Advanced Course.

The report is profitable reading to any interested in these three topics. It is assumed that the office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Madison, Wis., will supply any who desire to have the report.

BOOKS RECEIVED.

Exercises in Chemistry, by William McPherson and William E. Henderson. Pp. 69. Exercises 49. Ginn & Co.

A Guide for Laboratory and Field Work in Zoology, by Henry R. Linville and Henry A. Kelley. Pp. 104. Ginn & Co.

Introduction to Metallurgical Chemistry for Technical Students, by J. H. Stansbie, B.Sc. (Lond.), F.I.C., Lecturer in the Birmingham Technical School. 2d edition. Pp. 252. Longmans, Green & Co., N. Y. $1.25 net.

Elements of Geology, by W. H. Norton, Professor of Geology in Cornell College. 1905. Pp. 462. Ginn & Co., Boston. $1.40.

BOOK REVIEWS.

PRELIMINARY REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON GEOMETRY, DECEMBER, 1906.

This report of the Central Association's Committee covers nine large pages and, we are reminded it is only a preliminary report, is the outcome of a most conscientious and careful year's work by thoroughly competent persons and it will have an immense influence for good on the teaching of this subject in secondary schools.

The subject-matter of the report falls under the following headings: 1. Introduction; 2. Indefinables; 3. Congruence; 4. Terms; 5. Assumptions; 6. Definitions; 7. Use of figures; 8. Redundancies; 9. Pedagogy; 10. Applications; 11. Relation to Algebra; 12. History, 13. Advanced courses in geometry; 14. Diagrams, and 15. Fundamental propositions.

It is clear from this enumeration of headings that the ground has been well covered. A reading of what is said under any of these headings will impress one with the pertinency and current teaching of what is said. It can scarcely be expected that anyone will be ready at once to adopt all the suggestions-nor is this the committee's intention—but no one can study through this extraordinarily valuable report without having his practice in geometric work with young pupils greatly cleansed and invigorated.

Not a few teachers will here learn that they have been spending much time in attempting to define indefinables, some, who have already adopted the committee's viewpoint as to congruency, will be encouraged by the report, many will be helped by the illuminating remarks on Use of Figures, all will read with interest and help what is said about Pedagogy and History. To many it will be helpful to learn from the report how advanced Courses in Geometry will aid teachers of beginners, and no one can fail to give critical study to the list of fundamental theorems and constructions given on the last three pages. A teacher of high school geometry who does not study this report through carefully commits a capital offense against his pupils. A request accom