Miscellanies. 413 



16, Mr. Coo'per's Disclaimer, 



New York, 2Sth April, 1831. 



TO THE EDITOR. 



Sir. — In the last number of your valuable Journal, p. 123, I find, 

 to my great surprise, an opinion attributed to me, relative to a fossil 

 described by Mr. Eaton, so different from what I have ever enter- 

 tained or expressed to any person whatever, that I must beg the fa- 

 vor of you to insert my disclaimer of it in your next number. The 

 fossilin question was shown to me in September last, when I inti- 

 mated that it was a plant, and not, as supposed by Mr. Eaton, an 

 animal. Similar vegetable impressions are represented in Plates 

 1 and 2, vol. Ill, of the American Journal, as well as in Parkinson's 

 and other works on Fossil plants. They belong to the genus Lcpi- 

 dodendron, of Sternberg and Brongniart, of which thirty species are 

 now known, including those formerly confounded under the name of 

 Phytolithus cancellatus. They are supposed to have much affinity 

 with the Lycopodiacea ; and are therefore widely different from 

 Arundo, or any of the Gramineous Family. 



I remain, with great respect, your obedient servant. 



Wm. Cooper. 



17. Education. — In this great and growing country, it is very grati- 

 fying to observe how much the public mind is directed towards educa- 

 tion, 4br this alone can insure a healthful state of public opinion, which 

 is the supreme law of the land. 



In this view, the efforts of Mr. Joseph Holbrook, in Massachusetts, 

 to bring as much valuable knowledge as possible within the reach of 

 the most numerous class of society, are well known, and deserving of 

 respect and commendation. 



A member of the Albany Institute, (said to be Mr. Bloodgood,) 

 has recently presented to that body an interesting memoir on Educa- 

 tion, especially as conducted according to the systems of Lancaster, 

 Bell, Fellenberg and Pestalozzi ; and more particularly of Jacotot, of 

 Flanders, whose name is little known in this country. The pamph- 

 let* is well worthy of an attentive perusal. The system of Jacotot 

 is founded upon memory, in the first instance, and the improvement 

 of the pupil is stated to be rapid beyond all former experience, espe- 

 cially when it* is considered how limited are the literary means em- 

 ployed. The pamphlet must be consulted for the details. The au- 



* Published by E. Bliss, 111 Broadway, New York. 



Vol. XX.— No. 2. 53 



