October 19, 1888.] 



SCIENCE. 



better than a tissue of falsehood. Some of us who have a higher 

 opinion of Locl<e may think that Professor Dewey has not always 

 presented the Enghsh philosopher's views correctly, though we are 

 sure he has not done him any intentional injustice. He shows, 

 too, a strong desire to connect the views of Leibniz with his own, 

 and, in trying to do this, sometimes gives an interpretation that 

 seems a little strained. But, if due allowance is made for the au- 

 thor's philosophical standpoint, the reader will obtain from this 

 book a pretty good idea of most of Leibniz's doctrines in their rela- 

 tion to those of Locke on the one hand, and of the later German 

 thinkers on the other. This series of expositions will, we think, be 

 very useful in giving to purely English readers a more intimate ac- 

 quaintance with the products of German thought. 



First French Course. By C. A. Chardenal. Boston, AUyn & 

 Bacon. i6°. 

 After a brief introduction on the phonetics of French, the au- 

 thor proceeds at once to give a systematic series of exercises on the 

 elements and syntax of the language, keeping throughout in view 

 the practical end to teach the pupil thoroughly the use of the 

 French language. The French-English and English-French exer- 

 cises are well selected, and the lessons so arranged that the most 

 general and most fundamental laws of the French language are 

 given first, after which details are taught. In an appendix a tabu- 

 lated review of forms and rules is given, and the book concludes 

 with a brief series of extracts, to which a vocabulary is added. 



Teachers' Manual Series. Nos. 7, 8, 9, 10. New York and Chi- 

 cago, E. L. Kellogg & Co. 15 cents each. 

 The last four numbers of this series, which have recently been 

 issued, contain material that will prove very suggestive to teachers. 

 No. 7 is a reprint of Bishop Huntington's memorable address on 

 ' Unconscious Teaching,' that was delivered many years ago, and 

 at that time excited great interest. He justly emphasizes the fact 

 that the teacher's character and behavior influence in a great de- 

 gree the development of the pupil, and that the most careful atten- 

 tion should be paid to this fact. No. 8, written by James L. 

 Hughes, is entitled ' How to keep Order ; ' and in this the author 

 endeavors to show that keeping order is a necessary means of 

 training the character of the pupil, as order teaches that conscious 

 deviation from the right, and that conscious violation of any rule, is 

 a wrong, no matter how important or unimportant the rule be. The 

 latter half of the book is occupied by a discussion of mistakes of 

 the teacher which promote disorder, and thus the best instruction 

 as to how to keep order is given. In No. 9, by Rev. R. H. Quick, 

 ' How to train the Memory,' the author gives the results of his 

 experience, which are, that attention, arrangement, and association 

 are the proper means of training the memory. No. 10 is a descrip- 

 tion of ' Froebel's Kindergarten Gifts,' by H. Hoffmann. These 

 gifts are well known, and the author sets forth very clearly the best 

 methods of using them for training the child's senses and power of 

 observation. 



Francis Bacon. By John Nichol. Part I. Bacon's Life. Phila- 

 delphia, Lippincott. 16°. Si-25. 

 The present sketch of Bacon's life belongs to the series of Phil- 

 osophical Classics, edited by William Knight. The author has 

 endeavored to record impartially the events which led so many 

 writers to condemn the character of Bacon. He accepts neither 

 the views held by Spedding, who is bent on believing the best, nor 

 those of Abbott, who does not find any thing to commend in Bacon's 

 career. His views agree with those propounded by Gardiner. The 

 author rightly emphasizes the necessity of carefully considering the 

 circumstances of the age in which Bacon lived, in lorming an opin- 

 ion of his actions. He dwells upon the fact that during his life he 

 took the unpopular side of several questions, and thus proves that 

 he was n.ot so mean as to sacrifice every thing to the promotion of 

 his own interest. The author's treatment of the trial of Essex is of 

 special interest, and we think he has well succeeded in explaining 

 how Bacon came to take a prominent part in those events, and that 

 his actions were in accordance with views expressed in his letters 

 to Essex. On the other hand, the author does not try to excuse his 

 great faults and weaknesses. In a clear introduction, Bacon's age 

 and surroundings are described, and next his life until the death of 



Elizabeth is treated. His relation to James, his gradual rise and 

 sudden downfall, form the following chapters of the book, which 

 concludes with a sketch of his last years. The second volume will 

 contain a rSswni of his philosophy. 



How to teach Manners in the School-room. By Mrs. Jui.lA M. 



Dewey. (The Reading Circle Library, No. 7.) New York 



and Chicago, E. L. Kellogg & Co. 16°. 

 We fully agree with the authoress of the present little volume, 

 that the teacher ought to be careful to teach the pupils good man- 

 ners, but we disagree in every other respect with her views. It 

 seems that her prime object in teaching good manners is to make 

 children contemplate in all their actions, " What will people say if 

 they see me doing this or that ? " — a principle that can hardly be 

 considered as improving the moral standard of the pupils who are 

 subjected to it. It is true, as the authoress says in the introduction, 

 that true courtesy implies strict honor, self-possession, forbearance, 

 and refined feeling; but these qualities will hardly be developed by 

 such teaching as forms the greater part of Mrs. Dewey's sugges- 

 tions. We cannot agree with principles similar to the following, 

 which has been taken at random from the book (p. 55) : "Why 

 should our behavior on the street be good ? Because many people 

 see us there, and notice if it is not good." 



A Quiz Manual of the Theory and Practice of Teaching. By 

 Albert P. Southwick. New York and Chicago, E. L. Kel- 

 logg & Co. 16°. 

 In a long series of questions the author places before the teacher 

 many important problems regarding the method of teaching. The 

 first part of the book contains questions, while the second contains 

 answers to these questions. The subject is divided into numerous 

 divisions, according to the subject of teaching ; and a study of the 

 work will prove a valuable incentive to improving the methods ap- 

 plied in teaching, as it suggests many ideas to the teacher, a great 

 number of which he will accept, and use for the benefit of his pupils. 

 In a general introduction the author treats of the general theory of 

 education. This is followed by notes on the theory of teaching 

 reading, arithmetic, natural history, language and grammar, com- 

 position, rhetoric, etymology, literature, and so on through the 

 whole range of subjects taught in our schools. As an appendix, 

 some notes on manual training are given. 



NOTES AND NEWS. 

 The editor and publisher of the International Ethnographi- 

 cal Archive have issued, on the occasion of the Seventh Interna- 

 tional Congress of Americanists, a supplement to their journal, 

 entitled ' Contributions to the Ethnology of America.' This in- 

 teresting pamphlet contains extracts from the journal, and one of 

 the beautiful plates that are to accompany StoU's account of the 

 ethnology of Guatemala. The pamphlet contains one American and 

 four German contributions. The journal continues to be one 

 of the most magnificent scientific periodicals, and it bids fair to 

 become one of the principal sources of information for the study 

 of ethnology, more particularly for that of human inventions. 



— At a meeting of the council of the Anthropological Society of 

 Washington it was voted to continue the publication of the quarterly 

 journal. The American Anthropologist. This journal publishes in 

 full the most important papers read at the meetings of the society. 



— In the publication in Science a few weeks ago (xii. No. 295) of 

 the classification of soils, which formed a part of the annual report 

 of Major Powell, director of the L'nited States Geological Survey, 

 one class was inadvertently omitted, — that of the playa soils; i.e., 

 those formed by che wash of rains and the evaporation of inter- 

 mittent bodies of water that have no overflow. 



— The trustees of the Hoagland Laboratorj-, Brooklyn, announce 

 the completion of the laboratorj-, and its equipment for work. 

 Special facilities are offered to those who desire to prosecute origi- 

 nal research. For this purpose private laboratories have been pro- 

 vided, and arrangements are now being made for the purchase of 

 a library which shall contain all the literature necessary for reference 

 in the departments of bacteriology, physiology, and pathology. 



