273 



does not belong to the empire. The empire has no debt. The state 

 debts amount to 504,500,000 thalers ; railroad debts, 589,300,000 thalers ; 

 total, 1,093,800,000, or 27 thalers jper capita of the population. In 1870 

 Great Britain owed 193 thalers per capita; Austria, 48 ; Holland, 185; 

 France, 80 ; Eussia, 29. 



Local, government. — Thelocal government of Germany corresponds 

 very nearly to our county and township organization, the local adminis- 

 trators being elected by ballot. The ancient Teutonic traditions of 

 tribal organization are still an important element in German political 

 life. This local government controls the police, sanitary, school, and 

 pauper services. Each district must provide for its own paupers, either 

 native or foreign. 



Education. — The educational system is thorough and compulsory. 

 In 60,000 public schools there are 6,000,000 pupils. For higher instruc- 

 tion there are 330 gj^mnasia, 14 real gymnasia, 214 j)i"Ogymnasia and 

 latin-schools, and 485 real and high schools, with an aggregate attend- 

 ance of 177,379 pupils. There were also 21 universities, with four facul- 

 ties, theology, law, medicine, and philosophy. In some a fifth, that of 

 political economy, is maintained. The instructors of all grades num- 

 bered, in 1873-'73, 1,620 ; the students, 17,858. In technical culture, 10 

 polytechnic schools, with 360 teachers, gave instruction to 4,500 pupils. 

 Other special schools are maintained, including 45 obstetric schools ; 

 art-schools, musical conservatories, commercial colleges, navigation and 

 trade schools, &c,, in great numbers. In Prussia, Bavaria, and Saxony 

 there are 14 mining-schools, a military academy, an artillery school, and 

 several cadet-schools, riding-schools, &c. 



MICROSCOPIC OBSERVATIONS. 



BY THOMAS TAYLOR, Microscopist. 



In Hardwicke's Science Gossip for October 1, 1872, page|225, is illus- 

 trated a fungus, which was first discovered by Doctor Payen growing 

 among the mycelium in the intercellular passage of spent potatoes 

 affected with rot. Fig. 3 presents the illustration given in that journal. 



This fungus has been named by Montague Artotrogus hydnosporus, 

 although considered by Berkeley and others to be probably a secondary 

 form of fruit (oospores) of the potato-fungus itself. In order to test the 

 matter more fully I placed a portion of a rotting potato affected with 



