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in that magazine twenty years ago, so will be new to the present generation. The story is certainly wonderful, and there seems no reason to doubt its authenticity. There is one weak point in the narrative, however. The ghostly lady sits opposite Mr. Heaphy at dinner, invisible to the rest of the party, but nevertheless eats beef and drinks claret. The unprejudiced mind naturally asks the question, who carved the beef and who poured out the claret?

'Dolly Dear; or, the Story of a Waxen Beauty. By Mrs. Gellie (M. E. B.). Griffith and Farran. The little girl who finds among her Christmas gifts a prettily bound book with the above title will read with delight the adventures of the model doll, almost as large as a real baby, who plays so important a part in the lives of her young mistresses, and we venture to say that once begun it will not readily be laid down.

The interest of the tale is well sustained throughout, and it contains many truths and useful lessons which, laid to heart and practised by the reader, may have as good an effect upon her as 'Dolly Dear' herself had upon Eileen and Lizzie when ill in bed.

'St. Aubyn's Laddie,' and the Little Wouldbe Soldier. By E. C. Phillips. Griffith and

Farran.

The little hero of this pathetic tale is Cyril St. Aubyn, always known by his pet name of 'Laddie,' and the would-be soldier is his cousin Alan, who is of the same age as himself, and has such a devoted affection for the little crippled invalid that he even gives up his cherished wish of being a soldier, and promises to remain with Cyril all his life. He is a high-spirited, determined little fellow, and though only seven and a half when he makes this promise, he keeps it faithfully, although at the cost of some tears; and when Cyril a few days before he dies wants to release him from his promise, he refuses, saying, 'No; if you don't want me to write your letters for you, I'll be an army doctor, and cure the sick and wounded soldiers, and be doctor to their wives and children when they are ill. Wouldn't that be nice?'

This satisfies Cyril, and Alan, glad to have made his cousin happy, says he never means to change again.

Cyril himself is a model of patience and thoughtfulness for others, and his influence his felt by all who know him. The story is one which will be read with interest by all who like this style of sorrowful literature.

The Belton Scholarship. By Bernard Heldmann. Griffith and Farran.

A story that will interest boys, treating as it does of school life, and coming from the pen of one already well known to them as a writer of similar tales.

The chief incident of the book is, of course, the competition for the scholarship; but there are many other scenes introduced that boys will appreciate, and in particular the account of the paper chase in Chapters VI. and VII. is very exciting, while the tragic affair of Charlie Stewart and the bull will arouse the sympathy of the reader.

In Belton school, as in other establishments of the kind, there are to be found boys of all tastes and temperaments, good and bad dispositions; for a school is a little world in itself, and the child is father to the man.

George Denton, the hero, is not faultless, but he has many good qualities which are brought out strongly when, by a reverse of fortune, he has to depend on himself, and industry and perseverance take the place of laziness and discouragement at his inability to learn as quickly as his companions. How he succeeds in his efforts, and who in the end wins the Belton, we leave our boy-readers to discover for themselves.

The Baby's Museum. Griffith and Farran.

A perfect collection of the 'rhymes, jingles, and ditties' which have lived and laughed in our nurseries from gene

ration to generation, profusely and humorously illustrated. Quite the book for our little ones, and in the multitudinous woodcuts especially useful to rub out wrinkles from older foreheads.

White's Grammar School Texts. The Epodes and Carmen Sæculare of Horace, with an English Vocabulary. Longmans.

One of the numerous series in Greek and Latin classics issued in the interests of educational literature by Dr. White. A short account of Horatian metres precedes the text, which is followed by a full vocabulary: the whole comprising a most compendious manual for the numerous happy students of these easier times. What would not an old Carthusian or Etonian have given for such a troublesaving help up Parnassus !

Longmans' Magazine. No. 2. December,

1882. London: Longmans, Green, and Co. This is an excellent number, and promises well for the future of this new candidate for public favour. Dr. Smiles John Harrison the Chronometer Maker,' and Mr. Froude's Norway Fjords,' are alone worth double the price of the magazine. We cordially recommend our readers who have not already seen 'Longmans' Magazine' to get a copy.

A Short Treatise on the Greek Particles,
etc. By F. A. Paley, M.A., Editor of the
Greek Tragic Poets, and Examiner to the
University of London. Deighton, Bell and Co.
A learned, if so-called elementary, handbook for
scholars who study the Greek classics microscopically.
Mr. Paley is known as a distinguished educationalist, and
has contributed several volumes to the series of Biblio-
theca Classica, published by the eminent firm of George
Bell and Co. This treatise is claimed by its author to be
'entirely original,' and he adds that as a concise manual
it is probably unique, as explaining correctly the doctrine
of the Greek particles. In this connection one cannot
help remembering-and quoting-the famous triumph of
rhyme and rhythm, Browning's 'Grammarian's Funeral,
where it is written-

'So, with the throttling hands of Death at strife,
Ground he at grammar;

Still, through the rattle, parts of speech were rife;
While he could stammer

He settled Hoti's business-let it be!
Properly placed Oun-

Gave us the doctrine of the enclytic De,

Dead from the waist down!'

That Mr. Paley himself has full sympathy with such enthusiasm, let this extract from his preface suffice, viz. :

'To my mind, then, so far from being a dry, unimportant subject, the combinations of the Greek Particles are full of the highest interest, as being, so to say, an elabo rately finished part of a most complex and beautiful machinery. That a few inflected monosyllables should determine so completely the tone and meaning of a sentence is in itself a curious phenomenon of language. Believing that, from long and careful observation, I understand them myself, I have tried to make others do the same; and I only hope they will have the same pleasure in reading which I have had in writing this small work.'

Ivanhoe. Edition de Luxe. Part I. Ward and Lock.

This, perhaps the romance-masterpiece of Sir Walter Scott, is here so splendidly printed and so spiritedly illustrated as to be indeed what it professes, a luxury of literature. The excellence of the ancient matter 'goes without saying,' and the profuse modern embellishments by several French and English artists are worthy of the

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King Lewis. Hodder and Stoughton. 'Songs for Little Singers' is a book of words and music well expressed by such a title. The words comprise forty-four selected hymns and pretty rhymes, mostly by well-known authors, and the musical settings to them, all composed by Mr. Lewis, are simple and tasteful if not very scientific. Those which please us most are His Little Child,' 'Thy Kingdom Come,' Benediction,' 'Little Things,' and 'Alice's Supper.' Some of the airs are more original than others, but, on the whole, we can heartily recommend this pretty book as supplying a want that has long been felt in giving the children songs to sing which they can understand and enjoy, and which express the real feelings of childhood.

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The Teachers' Diary and Pocket Book. London: Jarrold and Sons.

Many a hard-worked teacher will thank the Messrs. Jarrold for the timely issue of this admirable, and, we might add, much-needed volume. If regularly used, it will save no end of trouble and worry. Its comprehensiveness may be gathered from the fact that it is adapted to the wants of either master, mistress, or pupil-teacher.

'The head master, by using it, will have always at hand any information he may require, without having to turn first to one page and then to another of the Code and the Instructions to Inspectors; all the information bearing on the same subject being put together.

He will also find useful the form on which to enter the time table for each standard; and the space for observations on the work of the standard, results of his examinations, etc., during the year.

The head mistress, in addition to the above, will find the needlework requirements for each standard, together with the exercises that may be set on the day of examination.

The Assistant or Pupil Teacher will find in it :

(a) The work of his class set out, whatever standard he may be taking;

(6) Information from the "Circular to Inspectors," as to
what will secure a pass in each subject;

(c) A form on which to enter the time table of his class;
(d) space for entering notes on the work of his class; and
(if a pupil-teacher),

(e) A full statement of what he has to study in each subject
for his own examination, not only for the year, but
right up to the time when he goes to the Training
College.'

We heartily recommend 'The Teachers' Diary and Pocket Book' to every elementary teacher in the country. [Several Reviews are unavoidably left over for want of space.]

Publications Received.

Christmas Cards

(1) Marcus Ward's Christmas Cards. Marcus Ward and Co. Classics

(1) Horace. Epodes and Carmen Seculare (White's Grammar School Texts). Longmans.

Diagrams

(1) Johnston's Standard Series of School Diagrams. No. 1. Chemical Apparatus, mounted on rollers. A. Johnston. (2) Johnston's Illustrations of Natural Philosophy. Sheets No. 7 and 7 with Handbooks. A. Johnston. VOL. II.

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(1) Shakespeare's Julius Cæsar. Longmans. (2) Selections from Julius Cæsar. Longmans. Mechanics

(1) Garnett's Elementary Mechanics.

Gall

By R. M.

G. Bell and Sons. (2) Besant's Hydro-Mechanics. G. Bell and Sons. Mensuration

(1) My First Mensuration. By M. H. Senior. Greenwell. Miscellaneous

(1) Heroes of Maritime Discovery. Gall and Inglis. (2) The Belton Scholarship. Nelson and Sons.

(3) Tommy Greedygrab and Wriggletum. John Heywood. (4) Universal Instructor. Vol. II. Ward, Lock, and Co. (5) Our Dolly. Griffith and Farran.

(6) St. Aubyn's Laddie. Griffith and Farran.
(7) Won from the Waves. Griffith and Farran.
(8) The Teachers' Diary and Pocket Book.

Sons.

Blackie and Son. Blackie and Son.

Jarrold and

(9) Four Little Mischiefs. (10) Naughty Miss Bunny. (II) Stories of Old Renown. (12) A Wonderful Ghost Story. (13) Two Bible Cartoons. Wesleyan Methodist Sunday

School Union.

Blackie and Son. Griffith and Farran.

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Query Column.

"As the answer to a single question often entails an expense six or seven times greater than the cost of the complete key to any of the Arithmetics or Algebras ordinarily used, the Proprietor of this Journal would be glad if students confined themselves to questions, the full working of which is not published in the form of a 'key.'

RULES.

1. Each correspondent is restricted to one question. We should be much obliged if correspondents who send numerical or algebraical questions for solution, and are able from any source to give the required answer, would do so. It would save much time at present spent on verification.

2. No query can be answered unless accompanied by the real name and address of the sender, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith and for facility of reference.

3. Replies will not be sent through the post.

4. Correspondents are requested to write legibly, and on one side of the paper only.

5. Correspondents wishing us to recommend books for any (other than the ordinary Government) Examinations, or to answer any questions concerning that Examination, must, in all cases, send a copy of Regulations up to date.

6. Queries must reach the office not later than the 15th of the month, or they cannot be attended to in the following issue.

7. All queries in future must have a pseudonym, and must be written on a slip of paper other than that which bears the real name and address of the sender.

All communications for this column should be addressed
'The Query Editor,'

The Practical Teacher,

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A. (1) 1,608

(2) 2,344 +14 (3) 1,689

B. (1) 7,360

(2) 6,136+27
(3) 10,110+46

C. (1) 943+123
(2) 1,399 +323
(3) 809

STANDARD I.

F. (1) 25

(2) 27 (3) 8

G. (1) 273

(2) 745 (3) 266 H. (1) 99

(2) 34 (3) 4

I. (1) 9,071

(2) 12,447 (3) 28,584 J. (1) 2,907

(2) 1,324
(3) 779

STANDARD II.

G. (1) 21,805

(2) 18,061+2
(3) 9,087

H. (1) 9,334+6

(2) 4,769
(3) 8,199+ 10

I. (1) 6,497+51
(2) 68,384 feet
(3) 65 apples

J. (1) 4,658,986,920
(2) 178 marbles
(3) 48 oranges
K. (1) 7,089 +32
(2) 1,160,496 pens
(3) 92 nuts

STANDARD III.

D. (1) 4,538 +40
(2) 17,129 +353
(3) 6,070
E. (1) 2 15s. 54d.
(2) £3 14s. 7 d.
(3) £28 11s. 2ąd.
F. (1) 145 Is. 6d

(2) £2,142 25. old.
(3) £18,372 45. 7 d.

G. (1) 25. 94d.
(2) £3 17s. 5d.
(3) 13s. 103d.

H. (1) 142 15s. 93d.
(2) £527 9s. 6d.
(3) £17,198 16s. 10td.

I. (1) 295,522 farthings
(2) 87 pairs of shoes
(3) 11d.

J. (1) £36 11s. 8d.
(2) 708 walnuts
(3) £1 Is. 6d.

K. (1) £2,122 195. old.
(2) 1 4s. old.
(3) £70 4s. 9d.

Science Notes.

A NOVEL APPLICATION OF THE ELECTRIC LIGHT. Among the most recent uses to which the electric light has been put, none more ingenious has been noticed than its introduction into dentistry. A well-known dentist has taken advantage of it to enable him to carry out his operations under more favourable conditions than the ordinary ones. He uses a small incandescent lamp to illuminate the cavity of the mouth of the patient. It is fitted into a vulcanite cup, which serves as a prop to keep the jaws apart.

ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.-Since these have been brought into partial adoption, the attention of many engineers has been devoted to improvements in the details of their working. Among new patents which are calculated to effect these, is one taken out by Edison, which is specially directed to prevent what has caused so much difficulty in working them, viz., tbe leakage of the current. Edison's new plan is to construct the ends of the rails and the fish-plates of nickel, and to have a copper strap between the rail and the fish-plate. Further, he proposes to have the rails japanned except on the top, and to cover the ties with an insulating compound. By these means he expects to reduce the leakage to a minimum.

THE new electric railway between the Giant's Causeway and Portrush was tried last month with fair success. Several experimental runs of over a mile each were made, with the result of attaining a speed of about ten miles per hour.

PRUSSIC ACID IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM.A curious myriapod has lately been observed in several hothouses in Holland, which appears to possess the remarkable property of producing prussic acid. On irritating the creature in any way it was noticed to give out a distinct smell of bitter almonds, and this was observed to be much more powerful if it were crushed. When some of these myriapods were killed and their bodies bruised with water, and this distilled, prussic acid was found in the distillate. Herr Egeling took the matter up, and made a series of investigations into it. His results lead him to the conclusion that the animal prepares or secretes a substance which under certain conditions is decomposed, giving prussic acid as one of the products of such decomposition. Various reagents he applied enabled him to ascertain the presence of such a substance, and probably another body which acts as a ferment, causing the production of the prussic acid, under certain conditions of excitement, in the living body. The myriapod is a foreign species of Fontaria.

POWER OF RESISTING POISONS IN INSECTS. -Some interesting experiments have been carried out lately by Mons. Fredericq, of Liege, on the large water-beetle (Dytiscus). He put several of these insects into aqueous solutions of urari (the Indian arrow-poison) and into solutions of strychnine of poisonous strength. A few drops of his solutions were sufficiently potent to kill a frog in a very few minutes. The beetles showed themselves in most cases quite unaffected by the poison; some experiments lasted for fourteen days, at the end of which they were apparently unharmed. Other beetles besides Dytiscus also showed themselves proof against the action, some maintaining themselves uninjured for nearly a month.

COAL IN THE UNITED STATES.-The coal supply of America has lately been attracting considerable attention, some rich seams having been discovered in the Southern States. It is not many years since the great fields of Pennsylvania were the only known deposits in the States; but recently large territories in Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama have been found to be rich in the mineral. The extent of these territories is not less that 15,000 square miles, or four times that of the coal-field in Pennsylvania. Texas, also, is considered to be above a coal-field, which is thought to be of about 6,000 square miles extent. In both the coal is described as being exceedingly bituminous and of excellent quality. Some veins of good soft coal are being worked in the Indian territory, in Kansas and Missouri. The mines of the Osage Coal and Mining Co., which are situated at Macallis in this district, are among the best in the country. The coal turned out from them is described as being almost equal to the English Cannel, and as being free from impurities. It is already in very great demand over all the adjacent railways. The great Missouri basin, in which the deposits are found, is estimated to cover 84,000 square miles of territory. The Appalachian coal-field extends towards the south, becomes narrower as it crosses Kentucky, and widens again in Tennessee. Beyond this it expands across the north-west corner of Georgia, and enters Alabama, terminating in the vicinity of Tuscaloosa. It is estimated that in the State of Alabama alone enough coal will be yielded to supply the whole country for a century.

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time, and had done great things for the study of the science there. His own attainments as an undergraduate were remarkably brilliant, for he was Senior Wrangler and first Smith's prizeman of his year. He succeeded the late AstronomerRoyal, Sir G. Airey, as Professor.

*

A NEW FORM OF LOCOMOTION.-A great improvement in travelling by road is foreshadowed by a new invention of Messrs. Ayrton and Perry, in the shape of a tricycle, which is to be propelled by electricity. It is not a very great modification of the ordinary tricycle of recent days, the same shape being preserved, and the apparatus for the application of the motive power being comparatively inconspicuous, or, at any rate, not attracting more attention than a traveller's ordinary luggage. Close to the driving wheel of the tricycle, as we know it, is fixed a large wheel furnished with a number of teeth. A motor is slung from the seat platform, the armature spindle of which carries teeth which gear into those of the wheel. The battery is composed of a number of Faure cells, which are slung from the back-bone and axle. When fully charged these contain an amount of energy equal to two horse-power. The motor and battery together weigh not quite 150 lbs. The speed with this arrangement will be about six miles per hour, but by using more accumulators it can be worked up to eight. The steering handle and the brake occupy their usual positions, and at the left side of the rider is a commutator, by which the number of accumulators in the circuit can be altered, or the current cut off from the motor. The full power of the battery is only obtained by turning the switch of the commutator through the intermediate powers, so that shocks are avoided in starting the machine.

AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY.-Some experiments have been reported recently bearing on an interesting problem in Agricultural Chemistry, viz., the alteration of nitrates in the soil. A small vegetable organism, Bacillus armylobacter, has been discovered to be active in setting up a butyric fermentation in the ground. The organism has been examined while in an active condition, in a fermenting liquid which was prepared from earth mixed with sugar, and containing nitrates in small quantity. When this was kept at a temperature of 35°C. gas was given off, which was sometimes a mixture of CO, and hydrogen, and sometimes CO, with nitrogen and nitric oxide. At the same time the liquid smelt strongly of butyric acid, and the nitrates disappeared. The Bacillus described as effecting this change is widely distributed, and can be observed as a number of oblong particles collected into groups of two or three in liquids properly prepared. The nitrates in the soil are reduced by the hydrogen generated in the butyric fermentation, set up by the organism when it meets organic matters in the absence of Oxygen.

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