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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Nicaragua, Salvador, and Guatemala. The 

 introductory chapter gives a general view 

 of Spain and civilization at the beginning 

 of the sixteenth century. The course of 

 discovery is then followed up, with accounts 

 of Columbus and his discoveries, the dis- 

 covery of Darien, the further explorations 

 of Columbus, the administration of the new 

 colonies, the discovery of the Pacific Ocean, 

 etc. ; then the stages of further colonization 

 and conquest, till the downfall of the Quiche 

 nation, whose capital is described, and of 

 the Cakchiqucls and Zutugils, in 1524 ; and 

 the volume closes with the account of the 

 revolt of the Cakchiquels, in 1524-'25. The 

 publishers inform us that an Eastern agency 

 for Mr. Bancroft's works has been estab- 

 lished, under the direction of Mr. F. M. 

 Derby, at 149 Church Street, New York. 



A IIistory of Modern Ecrope. By C. A. 



Fyffe. Vol. II, from 1814 to 1848. 



New York : Henry Holt & Co. Pp. 513. 



Price, $2.50. 



A comparison of the condition and poli- 

 cies of the chief civilized nations as pictured 

 in this book, with the present aspect of Eu- 

 rope, will help to give a realizing conception 

 of the extent to which the world of politics 

 and government has moved during the last 

 forty years. We are slow to comprehend 

 how fast we are making history till some 

 survey of the recent past like this brings 

 vividly before us what has happened in our 

 own lifetime. The period whose events are 

 recorded in the present volume of Mr. Fyffe's 

 history, may be described, as in its earlier 

 years, the period of reaction. It was the 

 aim of its statesmen to restore Europe to 

 the despotic regime which it endured before 

 the French Revolution. Nationalities were 

 cut up or combined, without a thought of 

 how their people would be affected, to suit 

 the ambitions and convenience of sovereigns 

 and ministers whose chief aim was to crush 

 out all life of freedom and enforce the as- 

 serted divine right of the few to govern and 

 tax the many. The achievement of Grecian 

 independence was a rude interruption to the 

 successful pursuit of this policy; the French 

 " July Revolution " of 1830 was a dangerous 

 break in it ; and the Revolutions of 1848 

 were the sign of its ultimate defeat, and of 

 the ushering in of the present era when con- 

 sideration of the desires and interests of the 



people is becoming more and more the ac- 

 cepted theory of the governments. The four 

 leading features we have mentioned, in their 

 order, constitute the framework on which 

 Mr. Fyffe has wrought his history. The 

 story is told with brevity and clearness. 



Principles of Education Practically Ap- 

 plied. By J. M. Greenwood. New 

 York : D. Appleton & Co. Pp. 192. 

 Price, $1. 



The author of this book is Superintend- 

 ent of Schools of Kansas City, Missouri. 

 His motive in preparing it has been to help 

 teachers to do better and more intelligent 

 work in the school-room. It assumes that 

 education is a science ; and that school- 

 teachers can understand the principles of 

 the science, and apply them accurately in 

 their daily work to the children under their 

 control. The object of the work through- 

 out is to impress upon the mind of the 

 teacher the question, "How shall I teach 

 so as to have my pupils become self-reli- 

 ant, independent, manly men and womanly 

 women ? " The foundation of the essay is 

 laid in a chapter insisting on the applica- 

 tion of the principles of psychology to the 

 work of teaching ; and this is to be made 

 in the study of the temperaments of the 

 children and the application of certain fixed 

 educational principles in such a way as to 

 secure an orderly and free development of 

 the faculties. The succeeding chapters are 

 of a more practical and concrete character, 

 and show how the objects aimed at may be 

 promoted in general school and class man- 

 agement, in methods of conducting recita- 

 tions, In questioning, and in teaching the 

 particular branches of reading, composition, 

 and language, penmanship, geography, his- 

 tory, and arithmetic. Another chapter is 

 devoted to " Health and Hygiene " ; and 

 studies of several typical boys are presented 

 in the concluding chapter. 



Sociology. By John Bascom. New York : 

 G. P. Putnam's Sons. Pp. 264. Price, 

 1.50. 



This is not a treatise on sociology con- 

 veying a full and systematic discussion of 

 the subject, but rather a bundle of essays 

 on a number of- topics of a sociological 

 bearing. " It passes familiar principles, and 

 principles to which the author can make no 



