June 7, 1S94] 



NA TURE 



1 27 



these facts, though they aflbrd a stronfj reason for avoid- 

 ing any step which would really be likely to prevent the 

 leaching of Latin in the lower forms of public schools, 

 seem to be an insufficient reason for compelling those 

 who do not get on with the subject to continue to 

 study it up to the age of eighteen or nineteen years, 

 when by dropping it in reasonable time they might 

 turn to some, for them, more profitable study. It is 

 often forgotten that when all boys learnt Latin and 

 Gieek and little else, but few of them stayed at school 

 so late as great numbers do at present, and that there- 

 fore there is less reason for resisting a change in this 

 direction now than there would have been in the days 

 mentioned by General Sir G. T. Chesney, when cadets 

 might enter Woolwich at the age of fourteen or fifteen 

 years. 



On the whole, therefore, our feeling is that the re- 

 commendation of the majority on this point goes in the 

 right direction. The general position of Latin in the schools 

 will surely be sufficiently protected by the action of the 

 universities, and henceitsserious discouragement neednot 

 be greatly feared. We would ask, however, whether the 

 objections of the dissentient members of the committee 

 could not be met by a requirement that all crndidates 

 should take for one of their subjects from Class IL a 

 language. This would distinctly protect linguistic 

 studies in the schools, and so act distinctly in favour of 

 Latin, without compelling all candidates to offer 



Latin, or handicapping any tchool which may prefer not 

 to teach it in all its divisions. It has been said that the 

 difficulty of Latin will prevent its being much adopted as 

 a voluntary subject. Surely this must mean that too 

 high a standard has been adopted for the circumstances of 

 these candidates who cannot of course reach to the level 

 of the higher classical fonns. The Civil Service 

 Commissioners should and could prevent any such 

 unfairness as this from occurring, and therefore could 

 prevent the subject from being killed, which surely all 

 would regret. 



RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE ZOOLOGICAL 

 SOCIETY'S MENAGERIE. 



A LTHOUGH it becomes more difficult year by year 

 -^*- for the Zoological Society to add new objects to 

 their collection of living animals, yet, as is shown by the 

 annual reports read at the anniversary meetings, 

 examples of a certain nuinber of species which have not 

 been "previously exhibited" are acquired every year. 

 In 1892, as we are told in last year's report, specimens of 

 II mammals, 20 birds, 14 reptiles, and one batrachian 

 "referable to species not included in the last (eighth) 

 edition of the ' List of Animals,'" were added to 

 the series. In 1893, the numbers of novelties 

 in the respective classes were hardly less numerous. 





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\0.' T 2S4, VOL. 50] 



Fig. I. — The Ounce or Snow-Lecpard. 



