458 



POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



a decrease in attendance after the Christmas and April holidays. 

 These lessons were followed by five on elementary chemistry, by 

 Prof. L. M. jS^orton, of the Massachnsetts Institute of Technology. 

 Ilis subjects were as follows: First Principles of Chemistry; the 

 next, Chemistry of Air, Chemistry of Water, Chemistry of Com- 

 bustion, Chemistry of Metallic Elements. There were also five 

 on Practical Examination, with Simple Apparatus of the Physics and 

 C^hemistry of Vegetable Physiology, by Professor Goodale, which 



Laborat<jky uv the Boston Sociktv of Nati :i;ai. I1istoi;v iskd uy C'las.-i..- oi iiiK 

 Teachers' School ok Science. 



were divided as follows: (1) Vegetable Assinnhition, tlic mode in 

 which phmts prepare food for themselves and animals; (2) 'J'he 

 Kinds of Food Stored in Vegetable Organs, illustrations of the 

 starches, sugars, oils, and albumiimidal matters; (3) How Food is 

 used by Plants and Animals in a Fornuition of New Parts, mechan- 

 ics of growth; (4) How Food is Fsed in AVork of all Kinds by Differ- 

 ent Organisms; (5) Adaptations of Organisms to Extremes of Heat 

 and Liglit, chiefiy with respect to geogra])hi('al distribution. This 

 session was coiielnded with a series of five lessons on Chemical Prin- 

 ciples il]usti-at<'il by ('oiiiiiioii Minerals, Ky Professor Crosby. 



At the beginning of this season there was the usual large attend- 

 ance, with teaehei-s fi-oni thirty towns, but the number was slowly 

 reduced. ]t was evident to the curator thai the decline in attenrl- 

 ance was not due to the subjects nor the iihkIc in which they were 



