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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



ceeding interest, which are set forth in the 

 second chapter of the work. The Sultan's 

 letter at length arrived. It was written " on 

 a small sheet of inferior paper, folded to the 

 size of a note, and sealed with coarse sealing- 

 wax." It was addressed to the Governor of 

 Mogador, and ran thus : " On receiving 

 this, you will send the English hakeem, and 

 his companions to the care of my slave, El 

 Gradui, to whom I have sent orders what to 

 do." This slave was the Governor of that 

 portion of the Great Atlas which it was de- 

 sired to explore. They started at once for 

 south Marocco, and reached the port of 

 Mogador on the 26th. Thanks to the Sul- 

 tan's letter, the Governor provided for their 

 safety and comfort during their journey 

 across the plains from Mogador to Marocco. 

 They had time to study the region about 

 Mogador, and their observations, meteorolo- 

 gical, geographical, zoological, and ethnolo- 

 gical, as well as botanical, are recorded in 

 Chapter IV. Chapters V. and VI. narrate 

 the journey from Mogador to Marocco. The 

 six following chapters are devoted to the 

 exploration of the Great Atlas. Chapter 

 XIII. describes their second stay at Moga- 

 dor, their return to Tangier and England, 

 and Chapter XIV. discusses the future pros- 

 pects of Marocco. The narrative from first 

 to last is one of absorbing interest, not only 

 to botanists but to readers of all classes. 

 The maps and pictures add greatly to the 

 interest and value of the work. It is 

 scarcely possible in the space at our dis- 

 posal to give any fair idea of the work by 

 means of extracts. The great ability and 

 experience of the authors are evident not 

 only in the delightful and instructive ac- 

 count of each day's proceedings, but equally 

 in the reflections scattered throughout the 

 volume upon numerous subjects, suggested 

 by the physical, social, and political aspects 

 of this strange country. For instance, in 

 speaking ofthe climate of north Marocco, we 

 have the following : 



Nothing is more rare than to find a country 

 where neither the natives nor foreign visitors 

 have any complaint to make against the climate, 

 and in this respect Marocco is almost unique. 

 As regards the season of oar visit, however, our 

 case was that of nearly all travelers in whatever 

 country they may find themselves. We had ar- 

 rived in an exceptional season ! How often is 

 this fact gravely stated as something remarkable 

 and unusual in the experience of the narrator, 



whereas, if he would but reflect, it merely rep- 

 resents the common experience of mankind in 

 most countries of the earth 1 Excepting some 

 portions of the equatorial zone, where the sea- 

 sons recur with tolerable constancy, our notions 

 of the climate of a place are got at by taking an 

 average among a great many successive sea- 

 sons. Any one who watches the meteorological 

 notices, published in our newspapers, must be 

 aware that if any particular day, week, or month 

 be compared with the general average for the 

 same period during a long term of years, he will 

 find it considerably hotter, or colder, or drier, or 

 moister, than the corresponding average day, 

 week, or mouth ; and, when registers have been 

 kept for a sufficient time in other countries, the 

 same result will be seen to hold good. Travel- 

 ers will then be prepared to find that they 

 should expect to enjoy, or suffer from, an excep- 

 tional season, and will think it more remarkable 

 when they happen to alight on a season near to 

 the average. 



We also note the following hint to trav- 

 elers : 



The net result of our short excursion was 

 not large or brilliant ; but, in the case of a coun- 

 try so little known as Marocco, the interest of 

 his collections to a naturalist does not mainly 

 depend on the rarity or novelty ofthe objects he 

 may happen to meet. Each plant or animal 

 carried away contributes an item of informa- 

 tion respecting the distribution of the organized 

 world, the value of which it is impossible at the 

 time to estimate. Travelers who happen to visit 

 little-known countries would do well lo remem- 

 ber that with the most trifling trouble they may 

 make useful contributions to natural science, by 

 preserving specimens of the most insignificant- 

 looking objects, provided always that these are 

 afterward placed in the hands of competent nat- 

 uralists. 



International Scientific Series, No. XXV. 

 Education as a Science. By Alexan- 

 der Bain, LL. D., Professor of Logic in 

 the University of Aberdeen. New York : 

 D. Appleton' & Co. Pp. 453. Price, 

 $1.75. 



In the maturity of his studies as an 

 original investigator of the science of mind, 

 and in the ripeness of his experience as a 

 practical teacher in the higher sphere, Pro- 

 fessor Bain has suspended the course of his 

 customary work to prepare a little treatise 

 on education, and we have no doubt that, 

 as it is the latest, so it will be regarded as 

 the best and most valuable, of his books. 

 Less formidable than his elaborate volumes 

 on " The Senses and the Intellect " and " The 

 Emotions and the Will," the new book is 

 still very full, and brings us to the more im- 

 portant application of the views contained 



