LITERARY NOTICES. 



421 



Report of the Public and High, also of 

 the Normal and Model Schools of On- 

 tario, for the Year 1877. Toronto: 

 Hunter, Rose & Co. print, 1879. Pp. 

 251. 



There is much in this report to which 

 we should like to call attention, but we can 

 find space only for a few passages from the 

 section entitled " Physical Science." " We 

 are pleased," write the Inspectors of High 

 Schools, " to be able to report that the 

 teaching of physical science is making real 

 progress in the high schools. After some 

 experience of the practically inoperative 

 and too expensive programme which was 

 universally in force some years ago, it was 

 decided by the Council of Public Instruc- 

 tion to limit the amount of work prescribed 

 in this department, with the view of having 

 a little done well. It was accordingly deter- 

 mined that only one of the physical sciences 

 should have a place in the programme of 

 lower school-work. On account of its inti- 

 mate connection with the other physical 

 sciences, and its great practical value, chem- 

 istry was selected, and the results have jus- 

 tified the policy adopted. ... In a consid- 

 erable number of schools enthusiasm for 

 chemistry is manifested by both the teacher 

 and his pupils. . . . The number of teachers 

 capable of teaching chemistry has largely 

 increased, and the number of pupils who 

 are afforded the opportunity of beginning 

 the study of that branch of knowledge in a 

 proper manner is greater than ever before." 



Word and Work : or, Scientific and Mo- 

 saic Geogony compared. By P. G. 

 Robert, a Presbyter of the Diocese of 

 Missouri. St. Louis: W. B. Chitten- 

 den. 1879. Pp. 29. 



The writer of this essay would be a me- 

 diator between Science and the Bible, but 

 fails to exhibit his credentials as referee 

 from either side. The world of science sure- 

 ly is not prepared to accept his exposition 

 of the facts of geology; and his exegesis of 

 Scripture passages is altogether too light 

 and airy to meet the approval of Biblical 

 scholars. As for the class of devout believ- 

 ers in the letter of the sacred word, they 

 must be shocked at the author's temerity in 

 explaining away the manifest meaning of the 

 inspired record. 



The Wisconsin Tornadoes of May 23, 1878. 

 By W. W. Daniells, Professor in the 

 University of Wisconsin. Pp. 41, with 

 Plates. 



The meteoric phenomenon described in 

 this pamphlet was the simultaneous occur- 

 rence of three separate tornadoes in a com- 

 paratively narrow belt of country in south- 

 ern Wisconsin. That there were three sep- 

 arate tornadoes appears evident from the 

 observations made on the spot by Professor 

 Daniells. The perpendicular velocity of the 

 wind in such tornadoes can be appreciated 

 from certain calculations made by the author 

 of this pamphlet. At a point in the track 

 of one of these three tornadoes a horse, 

 weighing about 1,100 pounds, was carried 

 over twenty rods ; in another place a horse, 

 of about the same weight, was carried eighty 

 rods. Now, a horse of this size would not 

 expose a lifting surface to the wind of over 

 fourteen square feet. To lift such an ani- 

 mal, then, would require an upward pres- 

 sure of the air of H^ = 78'5 pounds per 

 square foot. This pressure is produced by 

 wind moving with a velocity of 124*6 miles 

 per hour. 



An Etymological Dictionary of the Eng- 

 lish Language, arranged on an His- 

 torical Basis. By Rev. W. W. Skeat, 

 A.M. In Four Parts. Parti. A Dov. 

 New York : Macmillan & Co., 1879. Pp. 

 176. Price, $2.50. 



A knowledge of the etymology of words 

 is of essential importance in fixing their 

 meaning ; hence a work like that named 

 above can not fail to be useful, if only the 

 author brings to his task the requisite 

 scholarship and tact. We have read but a 

 few of the titles in this dictionary ; but so 

 excellent did they appear, both in substance 

 and in form, that we have no hesitation in 

 warmly commending the work to our read- 

 ers. 



The Animal, Vegetable, and Mineral 



Kingdoms. By Mrs. N. B. Walker. 



New York: Wilbur k Hastings print, 



1879. Pp. IS. 



The author points out the advantages to 

 be derived from the study of natural his- 

 tory in public and private schools, and 

 makes some sensible observations on the 

 mode of interesting young pupils in such 

 studies. 



