LITERARY NOTICES. 



247 



micro-mineralogy, micro-chemistry, biology, 

 histology, and pathological histology. The 

 work is clearly written, and its matter pre- 

 sented systematically and in very judicious 

 proportions. It contains a great number 

 of beautifully - colored plates, which will 

 prove helpful to the student. In an intro- 

 ductory chapter on the history and impor- 

 tance of microscopy. Dr. Wythe points out 

 the many ways in which this art has proved 

 useful to man in recent times. The follow- 

 ing suggestion, however, we had not met 

 with before, and we trust it will incite re- 

 ligious people to buy microscopes and learn 

 to use them : " Even theology has its con- 

 tribution from microscopy. The teleologi- 

 cal view of Nature, which traces design, re- 

 ceives from it a multitude of illustrations. 

 In this department the war between skep- 

 tical Philosophy and Theology has waged 

 most fiercely ; and if the difference be- 

 tween living and non-living matter may be 

 demonstrated by the microscope, as argued 

 by Dr. Beale and others, Theology sends 

 forth a pcean of victory from the battle- 

 ments of this science." 



Michigan Board of Health. Fourth An- 

 nual Report (1876). Pp. 250. Lan- 

 sing : W. S. George & Co. print. 



Ix addition to the journal of the proceed- 

 ings of the board, and sundry details of ad- 

 ministration, we have here a great deal of 

 matter of general interest : such as statis- 

 tics of diseases, remarks on illuminating 

 oils, studies of typhoid fever, etc. Among the 

 more voluminous essays, we may mention 

 papers on means of escaping from public 

 buildings in case of fire, vaccination, scar- 

 let fever, criminal abortion, water and wa- 

 ter-supply, ventilation of railroad-cars, etc. 



Report of the Commissioners of Education 

 FOR THE Year 18*75. Pp. 1,189. Wash- 

 ington : Government Printing-OfiSce. 



In the personal report of Commissioner 

 Eaton, which occupies the first lYO pages 

 of this volume, is found an instructive ret- 

 rospect of the history of popular education 

 in this country, together with a general re- 

 view of the present status of primary and 

 superior instruction, both in the United 

 States and in other countries ; then follow 

 voluminous abstracts of the reports of school 



officers throughout the States and Territo- 

 ries of the Union ; and, finally, we have 22 

 tables of school statistics, giving informa- 

 tion with regard to such matters as normal 

 schools, higher schools for women, colleges, 

 scientific schools, public libraries, museums 

 of art and natural history, institutions for 

 the blind, deaf and dumb, and idiots, edu- 

 cational benefactions, etc. The value of 

 the information here conveyed is no doubt 

 very considerable, and it is much enhanced 

 by the addition of a good index. 



How TO Camp Out. By John M. Gould. 

 New York : Scribner, Armstrong & Co. 

 Price, $1. 



This is the best work of tlte kind ever 

 published. Mr. Gould is the author of a 

 " Regimental History of the War," which 

 received the highest commendation from the 

 New York Nation and Evening Post. He 

 has camped in every way, and, being a man 

 of the keenest observation and possessed 

 with the orderly faculty of noting down ev- 

 erything, has given in this book advice and 

 suggestion of the greatest value to those 

 who go on camping or tramping expedi- 

 tions. Sound information is given regard- 

 ing food, clothing, boots and shoes, knap- 

 sacks, tents, and huts of various kinds, 

 with valuable hygienic advice from Dr. El- 

 liott Coues's writings. A pleasant vein of 

 humor runs through its pages ; and to those 

 who never stir out of the city, the book will 

 be found entertaining as well as camp-pro- 

 voking. 



SPENCER'S PKINCIPLES OF SOCIOLOGY. 



The following notice of this important 

 work is from the review in the London 

 Examiner : " The appearance of Mr. Spen- 

 cer's first volume on ' The Principles of So- 

 ciology ' will be a matter of rejoicing to 

 that large and growing number of readers 

 whose minds have been deeply impressed 

 and roused to new reflection by the writer's 

 masterly exposition of the philosophy of 

 evolution. This feeling of joy will only be 

 tempered by the regret which Mr. Spencer's 

 readers will certainly experience on learn- 

 ing, from a notice appended to the volume, 

 that disturbed health has obliged him to 

 desist when about to write certain conclud- 



