-yan. 2 1, 1886] 



NATURE 



globes from the library of the Inner Temple, made in the 

 time of Queen Elizabeth. 



There are about 200 atlases shown, like the wall-maps, 

 from various countries — England, Germany, France, 

 Austria, Belgium, Holland, Italy, Switzerland, Denmark, 

 Sweden. Even more than in the wall-maps does the supe- 

 riority of Continental work to English work come out in 

 these publications. Many of these cheap foreign school- 

 atlases contain some of the finest cartographical work : 

 such as Wettstein's atlas, published in Zurich for about 

 half-a-crown, with about thirty maps of perfect finish. 

 In this, as in some other foreign atlases, are one or two 

 sheets intended to give the pupil an elementary idea of 

 the principal symbols used in cartography — notably of 

 hill-shading. With such a knowledge the pupil will see 

 far more in a really good map than otherwise he could 

 possibly see. Accuracy, beauty, and adaptability to their 

 special purposes are far more frequent characteristics of 

 Continental school-atlases and wall-maps than of English. 



Of text-books there are some two or three hundred 

 from all the countries already named, including a few from 

 America. The vice of English text-books is the pro- 

 minence given to mere memory-work, and the absence of 

 any attempt to show the relations between physical and 

 political geography. Of physical geographies and physio- 

 graphies we have a few that are not surpassed by those 

 of any country. It is the general text-book that is put 

 together with so little skill and knowledge. In this de- 

 partment foreign countries show far more unsatisfactory 

 work than in the case of maps. Some of the best Conti- 

 nental text-books, especially German, are small, such as 

 that of Kirchhoff, used in all classes of German schools, 

 and in which mere memory-work is reduced to a minimum. 

 In Germany, and indeed in most of the Continental coun- 

 tries represented, the teacher is of far more importance 

 than the text-book, and is to a large extent independent of 

 it ; in England everything must be put into the text-book, 

 for few of our teachers know anything of the subject. It 

 is a mistake altogether to write text-books for the youngest 

 classes, those in which elementary notions and local geo- 

 graphy are taught ; these should depend entirely on the 

 living voice of the teacher, with black-board, compass, 

 simple reliefs, and pictures. 



Such are a few of the exhibits brought together in this 

 very useful Exhibition ; there can be no doubt that the 

 many teachers who have visited it will have learned a few 

 useful lessons ; we hope, for one thing, they will be more 

 exacting as to the character of the maps and other 

 appliances supplied by publishers. 



A series of lectures has been arranged in connection 

 with the Exhibition, which so far have been well attended, 

 and been followed by useful discussions. In December 

 two lectures were given, one on the aims and methods of 

 geographical education, the other on appliances. Last I 

 Tuesday Mr. Bryce lectured on the historical bearings of 

 geographical education, and next Tuesday Prof Moseley 

 lectures on its scientific bearings, with Sir Joseph 

 Hooker in the chair. On .Saturday next a Confer- 

 ence will be held, in which the whole subject of the 

 position of geographical education will be discussed, with 

 special reference to its place in examinations ; Sir 

 Beauchamp Walker, ex-Director of Military Education, 

 will preside at the Conference. 



HUNTER'S HOUSE 

 'TpHE three subjoined drawings are very faithful de- 

 ■*■ lineations of some of the portions of John Hunter's 

 house and grounds, at Earl's Court, to which I drew at- 

 tention in N.vrURE for Jan. 7. The first drawing supplies 

 the view of the house looking into the meadow, in which 

 view the house is, I believe, nearly the same as it was 

 when Hunter lived in it. The second sketch is that of 

 the Lions' House, or den, situated at the end of the 



iLJ.iU.:lk 



Fig. I.— Hunter'^ Hou^c. 1 i 



^. 



Fig. 2.— The Lions' Hou 



^i* 



-t^f^^ 



Fig. 3. — The Coppc 



