LITERARY NOTICES. 



279 



sheets, for each square of one degree of 

 longitude and one of latitude. The organi- 

 zation of the survey incUules five paleonto- 

 logical laboratories, in which the fossils col- 

 lected by the geologists in the field are de- 

 scribed and reported upon ; a chemical lab- 

 oratory, laboratories of physical research 

 and lithology ; a division of mining statis- 

 tics, and a division for preparing illustra- 

 tions for the reports. The general geologi- 

 cal work is organized into divisions of gla- 

 cial; volcanic; Appalachian arch^an; Lake 

 Superior archcean ; the areal, structural, 

 and historic geology of the Appalachian re- 

 gion ; the Yellowstone Park ; and two min- 

 ing divisions. The appointments to posi- 

 tions in the survey are made, on recom- 

 mendation in case of persons of recognized 

 scientific reputation in their several fields, 

 and through civil-service examination for 

 younger men. The work of each division of 

 the survey is represented in the special re- 

 port of its chief. A conception of the gen- 

 eral character of the work, as a whole, 

 may be gained from a view of the " ac- 

 companying papers." They are "Mount 

 Taylor and the Zuni Plateau," by Captain 

 Button ; " The Driftless Area of the Up- 

 per Mississippi Valley," by T. C. Chamber- 

 lin and Rollin D. Sahsbury ; "The Quan- 

 titative Determination of Silver by Means 

 of the Microscope," by J. S. Curtis ; " Sea- 

 coast Swamps of the Eastern United States," 

 by Professor N. S. Shaler ; and " Synop- 

 sis of the Flora of the Laramie Group," 

 by Lester F. Ward. 



FOSTY-FIFTH AnXU^L RePORT OF THE BOARD 



OF Education of the City of New 

 York. New York : Hall of the Board 

 of Education. Pp. 271. 



The whole number of children taught 

 during the year, including the "corporate 

 schools," was 304,758, and the average at- 

 tendance, 153,643; while 3,998 teachers 

 were employed. The average cost of in- 

 struction per pupil was $15,493^ in the 

 primary departments and schools, and 

 $29.80 in the grammar-schools. Corporeal 

 punishment being prohibited, the severest 

 penalty that may be inflicted is suspen- 

 sion or expulsion ; and the efficiency of the 

 system is claimed to be apparent in the con- 

 stant diminution of the number of suspen- 



sions. "While the subject of industrial ed- 

 ucation in the public schools has been un- 

 der consideration, no conclusion has been 

 reached upon it ; but the city superintend- 

 ent has been directed to make investiga- 

 tions upon it for advising the board as to 

 the best action to be taken in the matter. 

 The thoroughness of the drill and discipline 

 of the common schools is exemplified by 

 the fact that it requires but a single day to 

 add, without confusion or disorder, six hun- 

 dred new students to the classes of the col- 

 lege. The question of the introduction of 

 manual training into the schools has en- 

 gaged attention, but it has been deemed 

 wise to proceed slowly. A committee has 

 reported favorably, and advised that it be 

 introduced at an early date. Manual in- 

 struction is, however, already in operation 

 in the City College, where three workshops 

 have been fitted up, with tools for various 

 kinds of work in wood and metal ; practi- 

 cal laboratories in chemistry and physics 

 have been furnished ; facilities are given for 

 investigations in natural history ; and ad- 

 vanced work is done in industrial drawing. 



Johns IIopkins L'nitersity Studies in IIis- 



TORICAi AND POLITICAL SciENCE. Fifth 



Series. Nos. I and II. The City Gov- 

 ernment OF Philadelphia. By E. P. 

 Allinson and Boies Penrose. 50 cents. 

 No. III. The City Government of Bos- 

 ton. By J. M. BuGBEE. 25 cents. Bal- 

 timore: The University. 1887. 



The best mode of governing cities has 

 been for many years one of the leading 

 questions in American politics ; and the 

 problem is by no means solved even yet, 

 notwithstanding the many experiments that 

 have been made. Lender such circumstances 

 anything that promises to shed light on 

 the subject, from whatever point of view, is 

 welcome. Among recent historical works 

 on the subject, the publications of the 

 Johns Hopkins University hold a promi- 

 nent place, the fifth series of studies in 

 historical and political science published 

 by that institution being mainly devoted 

 to the history of American cities. The 

 opening numbers of the series, treating 

 of the history of Philadelphia and Boston, 

 named above, and give in a brief form the 

 leading events in the municipal lives of 

 those two cities with clearness and with an 



