364 APPENDIX I 



The University of Clermont-Ferrand, in the capital of the old 

 province of Auvergne, in the center of Southern France, like 

 Grenoble, is in the midst of the mountains. Clermont is the center 

 of a most important volcanic region and possesses unique interest 

 not only for geologists and mineralogists, but for geographers as 

 well. The University of Dijon, in the town of that name, capital 

 of the old province of Bourgogne, offers a course on the History 

 of Burgundy; the University of Poitiers, in the old province 

 of Poitou in Western France, where famous battles occurred 

 in olden times, offers a course on the History of Poitou; the 

 University of Rennes, in old Bretagne, offers a course in Celtic 

 Language and Literature; the University of Besancon, in Franche- 

 Comte, of which Besancon was the capital, a course in Russian; 

 also one on the History and Geography of Antiquity and the 

 Middle Ages, in which epoch Besancon played an interest- 

 ing part. 



It will now be clear that while the provincial universities offer 

 courses in law, letters, science, and medicine quite similar to those 

 described as given by the University of Paris, they make up in a 

 measure for what they lack in variety by offering special courses, 

 for which they have advantages superior to any that can be found 

 elsewhere. The law-school courses are in many cases broadly edu- 

 cational as well as technical. The scientific courses are thoroughly 

 practical, as the names of some of them suggest: Industrial Elec- 

 tricity, Industrial Chemistry, Industrial Physics. The medical 

 schools are the equal in excellence of the schools of law, letters, and 

 science. The provincial universities, following the example of the 

 University of Paris, are gradually introducing the doctor's degree 

 for foreign students into their various faculties. An American 

 student who desires to receive this degree as a recompense for suc- 

 cessful work in France will have in the future only the perplexity 

 of deciding where he can most advantageously spend his time. 



VII. SPECIAL SCHOOLS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION. 



It remains to speak of several institutions, some of which are 

 not connected with the government, of no less interest to American 

 students than those just described. Many of these are termed 

 "ecoleslibres,"/ire being used here in the sense of independent, and 

 not, as. sometimes supposed, of free in the sense of tuition free, 

 although such is often the case. 



