classed together simply as conjunctions. A closer analysis, however, shows us that "when," in addition to its conjunctive force, has also a modifying effect on the verb "told" in its own

In

clause. We have the same double power in every "relative" word. the case of a relative pronoun, it relates to its correlative, and it is besides in the nominative or objective relation to some word in its own clause. Resolve "when" into "at the time at which," and the similarity of the constructions will be apparent: "at the time" is an adverbial adjunct to came," "at which" is an adverbial adjunct to told," and the relative "which" is the link of connexion between the two clauses.

was

Mr. Mason has also done well in discarding the old distribution of conjunctions into copulative and disjunctive. The classification he has adopted instead, that of co-ordinative and subor dinative, is not only much more rational in principle, but much more useful in connexion with the analysis of

sentences.

The chapters on Analysis,—which are published in a separate form, as well as with the Grammar,-are in most essential points, very similar to Dr. Morell's treatment of the same subject. Indeed, it strikes us as somewhat singular that while Becker, their common source, is frequently referred to in the preface to this edition, no allusion whatever is made to the man who first adapted Becker's principles to English Grammar, and who has all the merit of the revolution which has thereby been effected in the teaching of that subject in our schools. Mr. Mason, however, is less to blame in this omission than other bookmakers of our day. For he has gone to Becker, while the others have boldly adopted Morell's material, with some original variations, but without either knowing anything of Becker, or saying anything of Morell. The introduction of the complex sentence, between the simple and the compound, is one of the most useful of Dr. Morell's improvements; and we are sorry that Mr. Mason has not adopted it, for it is as rational as it is useful. We think he also places himself at a considerable disadvantage with his readers in not adopting the tabular form of analysis.

We should add, in conclusion, that Mr. Mason has brought his book thoroughly

abreast of recent philological research, and has, wherever possible, referred peculiarities of form and idiom to their Anglo-Saxon prototypes.

Popular Manual of Botany. By Christopher Dresser, Ph.D., etc. etc. Edinburgh: Adam & Charles Black. 1860. Pp. 233.

THERE can be no doubt that many persons, old as well as young, are deterred from entering on the study of more than one branch of science by the repulsive character of the technical terms which hedge them round. Great as this difficulty often is in the case even of those who are acquainted with the Greek and Latin languages, from which most of our scientific terminology is derived, it becomes almost insuperable in the case of those who have no knowledge of these languages at all, or only such a slender and outside acquaintance with them as may be obtained by learning lists of "roots" in manuals of etymology. Many people have, therefore, been led to inquire whether they cannot have scientific manuals without the dreaded jaw-breakers, whether the mother-tongue cannot be adapted to the description of the members of the animal and vegetable kingdoms. To meet such a demand Dr. Dresser has prepared this manual of botany, which, from its systematic avoidance of technical words, may well be called "Popular." The author's design has been carried out as successfully as it admits of, and the work as it stands may be taken as a fair illustration both of the advantages and the disadvantages of the system. It will doubtless be felt as an objection to it that, when those whose botanical knowledge is of the popular kind come to prosecute the subject in scientific manuals, they will almost require to recommence the study, unless, indeed, the use of popular terms becomes more general amongst botanists than it is at present. Again, it may be urged as a plea for the scientific terms, that they give greater distinctness to classification and description than can be obtained by employing words which are in everyday use, and are often loose in meaning; while some weight also must be attached to the consideration that scientific language is in a sense universal, being intelligible to people of different nations and tongues. Over against all this, however, must be set

the great advantage, in so far at least as young people are concerned, of gaining their attention and winning their sympathy for an otherwise distasteful subject, by laying it before them in the familiar words of their mother-tongue.

History of England for Schools and Families. By A. F. Foster. With numerous Illustrations. London : Chapman & Hall. 1861. Pp. 409. THE specialty of this book, its author tells us, is the prominence it gives to "the religious and industrial condition of the people, their progress in agriculture, commerce, literature, science, and art, with the dress, distinctive habits and customs, and the general aspect of society at each stage of transition." Mr. Foster, however, states his case a little too strongly when, in the style of modern prefaces, he claims "to supply what has long been felt as a desideratum in school literature ;" and, in order to make good his plea, he has not unnaturally been led to exaggerate both the extent of the deficiency and the importance of the desiderated information. We are not convinced by anything Mr. Foster advances that, considering the general tastes of young people, military achievements and political movements are matters "much less interesting" than the social topics on which he descants; and whether they are more or less "useful to know" depends very much upon the way in which, and the extent to which, the latter are known. Indeed, excepting the preface, Mr. Foster's book is very like several other school histories that have recently come under our notice. It devotes the ordinary attention to the usual historical narrative, and it adds, as these other histories do, a few special paragraphs, or an occasional chapter, upon the "moral, intellectual, religious, and social condition" of the people. Regarded in this light, the book is a very good, and deserves to be a popular, one. Its general accuracy is unquestionable; and though the author's warmth of feeling occasionally betrays him into the use of expressions somewhat strong for an impartial historian, the style is conspicuously plain, simple, and artless. Many of the illustrations are good, and will therefore be useful; some, however, must be characterized as unnaturally stiff, others as vulgar, and we hope we shall not be held as approving of the dreadful libels upon royalty that disfigure

many of the pages. Mr. Foster has made his account of the earliest period in English history judiciously brief; but we could have wished that he had given a little more space to the current century, at least to the last reign and the present one, where, surely, he should have found material for remarks on social and intellectual progress deserving to occupy more space than nine pages.

Calder's Arithmetic (New Edition.) London: Longmans.

Pix's Miscellaneous Examples in Arithmetic. London: Longmans. Cayzer's Thousand Arithmetical Tests London: Griffith & Farran.

numerous

Mr. Calder's arithmetic will rank amongst the best of the manuals of that science which have been published of late years.

The new edition differs from preceding ones, in the case of Part I., only in containing the application of the four elementary rules to decimals. This appendix is very brief, and we doubt whether it will serve any useful purpose. It may be made a question whether decimals should be presented to the pupil in the early stages of his progress, when he is sufficiently tasked with the study of integers; but, waiving this question, the meagre mechanical practice which is here offered to him, cannot be regarded as an adequate introduction to the subject. To Part II. are added in this edition a collection of easy miscellaneous examples, a short treatise on book-keeping, and chapters on the units of weight and measure, on decimal coinage, and on the French metrical system. These append ices add materially to the value of the work: in particular, we are glad to see the number of examples increased, as those given in former editions, though well selected, were barely sufficient for practice.

Part I. contains the simple and compound elementary rules and reduction. When arithmetic fails in school as a mental discipline, the failure will be found to lie in the manner in which these rules have been handled; we are accordingly disposed to test any manual severely on the method which it adopts in their exhibition. Mr. Calder's explanations have a fulness and simplicity, together with a conciseness and uniformity of language, which show a just sense of the importance of these rules,

and aptness in their teaching. Were we to take exception to his treatment of any, it would be to Subtraction; in which, after explaining one method-that which works by reference to the principle of numeration alone-he recommends for practice another-that by equal additions -without sufficient explanation. Part II. contains, in addition to the commercial rules, the doctrine of fractions and of proportion, treated with an accurate perception of their arithmetical relation to each other, and with all desirable clearness of exposition and order in arrange. ment. We think, however, that the solution by first principles of questions which are commonly referred to the Rule of Three-which the author acknowledges to be "very valuable as a discipline to the pupil's mind"-deserved a fuller exposition than is given to it in a small-print appendix to one of the sections.

The work is intended for the use, not of common schools, but of pupils in higher schools, students, and teachers; and we believe that all who study it will agree with us in regarding it as a very satisfactory manual, both of the theory and the practice of arithmetic.

Collections of examples in arithmetic cannot be too numerous, if they are good; for half the discipline of the subject lies in the application of rules to solutions. Of the two collections named above, Mr. Pix's resembles in its construction that of Mr. B. Smith, which was noticed in our April number; containing a set of examination papers, each of which presents examples of different rules. There is no want of variety (there are about 1200 in all), and in the arrangement the balance is well maintained between easy and difficult, so that the collection will afford the student excellent practice.

Mr. Cayzer's collection has a different design. Nearly as numerous as the former, it is simpler in its complexion, dealing but slightly with "problems in the ordinary sense of the word, but giving an abundance of practical exercises. Each set of questions ranges over the entire field, whilst there is a correspondence between the several sets in such a manner that the 5th question in each, e.g., is always in reduction, the 29th in proportion, the 39th in areas, and so on. The papers may therefore be used in two ways-collectively or down the page for the purpose of ex

amination, and by selection across the pages for the working up of particular rules; and there is judicious graduation both ways. We have no doubt that teachers will find the collection a very convenient one from which to exercise their classes.

The Geography of the British Empire. By William Lawson. Durbam: J. R. Dickons. London: Kent. 1861. Pp.

315.

WHILE primarily intended for the use of second year's students in training schools, Mr. Lawson's excellent manual will be found useful by all teachers who wish a special text-book on the British Empire. It consists of three distinct parts; first, The outlines of popular astronomy and physical geography; second, The British islands; third, The British colonies. Mr. Lawson has omitted entirely those lists of names and columns of figures with which geographies are often too exclusively occupied. He has thus found space at his disposal for dilating on other points of greater interest, such as the every-day life and commercial progress of the nation. We can specially recommend the chapters on the colonies, as containing in short compass much useful information not generally given in school books. The typography, paper, and general get-up of the book are, however, very much against its

success.

Every-Day Things; or Useful Knowledge respecting the principal Animal, Vegetable, and Mineral Substances in Common Use. By a Lady. Second Edition. London: Griffith and Farran. 1861. Pp. 150.

THE object of this useful little book is well explained by its sub-title, which we have given at length. It is of the nature of a descriptive dictionary, the substances being classified and arranged under fifteen different chapters. Its information is full, accurate, and brought down to the latest returas; and there is sufficient variety to satisfy the most rapacious appetite for "common-things" knowledge. A copious alphabetical index facilitates reference, for which purpose, we hope, rather than for use as a lesson-book, the little work is designed.

Professor Max Müller's Lectures on

the Science of Language, and Mr. Currie's Principles and Practice of Common School Education have come to hand too late for review in our present number. Both works are too important to be dismissed with a brief notice; we therefore reserve them till our next number. This is also the proper place to acknowledge receipt of Clyde's School Geography, Fourth Edition (Gordon), considerable practical experience of which enables us to pronounce it the best school geography we have ever used or seen; Bishop

on

our

Thirlwall's Letter to J. BowЯead, Esq., concerning Education in South Wales (Rivingtons); A Sermon The orignal Order of Nature Model, and the Spirit of God our Guide, in the Work of Education, by the Hon. and Rev. W. H. Lyttelton (Bell and Daldy); and The Rule of Life deduced from the Practice and Opinions of Mankind, favourable to the Cause of Virtue, The Burney Prize Essay for 1860, by John Kerr, B.A., H. M. Assistant Inspector of Schools (Macmillan.)

1.-EDUCATIONAL SOCIETIES.

The College of Preceptors.-At the June evening meeting of this Society, Mr. W. Taylor Jones read a paper on "The best means of registering the progress of pupils," in which he reviewed the different methods of accomplishing this that had come under his notice; but as his main object was to elicit the views of others, and know something of their plans, his paper was suggestive rather than expository. He recommended all schoolmasters to adopt the plan of requiring with every pupil over twelve years of age, when entering school, a testimonial as to character and progress from his previous tutor. He did not consider the results of examinations always conclusive as regards either master or pupils. At times also he had been led to question the value of monthly reports as to the improvement and conduct of pupils; for they appeared, in many cases, to merge into a mere formality, containing either expressions of a warm approval, or a round of set phrases neither cold nor hot; for the temptation was very great for the master to soften some of the harsher features of character and conduct. Parents did not like to be told that their boy's progress was not equal to their desires; at home he might be a pest, but at school he must be perfection.

At the half-yearly general meeting of the College, the Secretary read an address by Dr. B. H. Kennedy, the President, in which he announced that 47 new members had been added to the College during the half year then closed. The number of scholars examined by the

College at Midsummer, 1861, was 570, exceeding by more than 100 the number of the previous year. The effort to augment the Benevolent Fund had not been very successful. The President devoted the main part of his address to a comment

upon the article on Schoolmasters" in a recent number of The Cornhill Magazine. After the approval of the Council's Report, resolutions were adopted, recommending "to the Council to prosecute the agitation for a Scholastic Registration Act, similar to the Medical Registration Act," and in support of the recommendation of the Royal Commissioners that masters of endowed schools should be required to procure either an academical degree or a certificate of competency from some authorized body, and further suggesting "the expediency of applying the same principle to schoolmasters in general."

At a meeting of the Council in July, the President and Vice-Presidents were re-elected; and it was announced that the General Medical Council had agreed to recognise the first-class certificates of the College as guarantees of good general education.

Educational Institute of Scotland.The Annual Meeting of this body was held in Edinburgh on 21st September. In his valedictory address, the retiring President commented on the recent Parochial and

Burgh Schools' Act. He expressed satisfaction with the improved pecuniary condition of the teachers, and with the institution of the University board of examiners. But he regretted that the Institute had been overlooked in the Act,

General Associated Body of Church Schoolmasters in England and Wales. -Soon after the petition of this body against the recommendation of the Royal Commissioners to withdraw augmentation grants in aid of teachers' salaries, was issued, the Duke of Newcastle made a statement in the House of Lords which led many teachers to regard the abolition of these grants as only a possible but very remote contingency, and they therefore declined to petition against it. Now, however, that the "Revised Code' has been issued, carrying out this recommendation, the officers of the Associated Body are making vigorous efforts to represent to the Legislature "the injustice which the new code will inflict upon teachers," and have prepared a petition to both Houses of Parliament on the subject. The petition has already 1550 signatures, and they expect to have 5000 before the opening of Parliament.

The petitioners submit that they have always viewed these grants as being for the benefit of the individual teacher, as much as for that of the school, and as being of a permanent character; "for, first, these grants are made solely in respect of the attainments and professional ability of the teacher-the teacher being examined to test his competency, without which proof the grants are not payable; secondly, if the conditions annexed to the payment of grants on certificates of merit are not complied with, the teacher alone suffers pecuniary loss; thirdly, though the grants to managers and teachers of schools are issued to the managers in Post-office orders, yet they are made payable only to the individual teachers, whose receipt alone is taken: all these circumstances evidently show that the grants to teachers, on account of their certificates of merit, are not intended for the benefit of the managers, but as an inducement to persons of ability and skill to enter the profession of elementary VOL. I.-NO. III.

teachers." They further urge that they entered the profession "in the full belief and assurance that the said grants were of a permanent nature so long as the conditions of their payment were complied with, and their possible withdrawal, which would serve to destroy all faith in the proposals and operations of the Government in its relations with teachers, they have never been led to anticipate." They add that the withdrawal of these grants without a substitute secured to them "will have the effect of considerably diminishing the income of thousands of teachers in elementary schools, without the prospect of the deficiency being supplied from any other

source.

Copies of the petition may be had of Mr. J. J. Graves, the Hon. General Secretary, Lamport, Northampton.

The ninth annual conference of the Society is expected to be held at Stafford on the 2d and 3d of January 1862.

re

The Home and Colonial Training Institution.-The half-yearly general meeting of the teachers of this Society was held in the end of August, when an address was delivered by Mr. Reynolds, the hon. secretary, consisting of a digest of the annual educational blue-book, and an exposition of the "Revised Code cently issued. Mr. Reynolds, and the speakers who followed him, objected to the code in the strongest terms, and that chiefly for the following reasons:that it was unjust to teachers, in that it abolished all "specific payments;" that, by not encouraging the study of the Bible, it was 46 a terrible blow to the religious education of the country; that schools in poor districts would be worse off than at present; that it will induce managers "to exclude all infants under four, and all scholars above eleven who have been unpaid for;" That it "strikes at the root of all occasional