i v PREFACE. 



tries of Europe; the ware in South America, Afghanistan, the Transvaal, and 

 Turkistan ; the revolutionary upheaval in Russia and the terrible murder of the 

 Czar; the persecutions of the Jews in ( lei-many and Eussia ; the developments 

 of the still unsolved K;i>tern question; the social reforms in (uTinany; the 

 rapid political changes in republican France; the liberal movements in Italy 

 and Spain are a few of the Mibjeets of which an account is given, together 

 with all th -tatistical information, under the names of the different 



countries, or dealt with in special articles, such as " Jews, Persecutions of"; 

 "Islam, the Future of"; " I'.rahmo Somaj " ; ''Land Tenure in Europe"; 

 "Opium-Trade of India and China" ; " Russian Government, its Features." 



irious and denominational information is given under the names of the 

 denominations, and a special article on the "New Testament Revision." 



There are biographical articles on numerous distinguished persons who have 

 died during the year. 



The progress of science, particularly of its useful applications, and the 

 achievements of inventive genius, are described with comprehensive complete- 

 ness. Of the long list of special articles and new subjects may be mentioned 

 as examples, the progress of " Medical Science and Practice," the article on 

 " Eye-sight Deterioration," the one on the progress of " Mechanical Engineer- 

 ing," the recent developments in " Physiology " ; the account of the " Exhibi- 

 tion of Electrical Inventions'' at Paris, the article discussing "Technical Edu- 

 cation," the account of the improvement in "Photography," the articles on 

 " Glucose " ; " Germs, Vaccination with Disease " ; " Fertilizers " by Professor 

 W. O. Atwater ; " Chlorophyl " ; " Oysters, Deterioration of " ; " Nutritive Ele- 

 ments of Food " ; and the merits and demerits of " Silo, or Ensilage," by L. B. 

 Arnold. 



The subject of the United States census is treated in the volume with great 

 fullness in its various departments, and the population is given of every county 

 in each State, and also of all the principal cities, and compared with the statistics 

 of the former census of 1870. The returns of the recent census in Great 

 Britain, in France, in Italy, Switzerland, and other European countries, are pre- 

 sented to the latest dates practicable. Large and very finely colored maps 

 accompany the United States census, and illustrate the comparative density of 

 the population in 1830 and 1880; the center of population at the end of each 

 decade since 1800 ; and also the comparative density and the location of the 

 foreign and the colored population. 



Fine steel portraits of President Arthur, ex-Secretary Blaine, the lately 

 deceased poet Longfellow, and the distinguished French citizen Gambetta, 

 embellish. the volume, together with maps and cuts in various articles. 



