154 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. VII., No. 158 



pear which are given to the public on the part of 

 universities and colleges. Among those which 

 have reached us, that of Columbia college may 

 first be named, which is dated as far back as May 

 5. President Barnard discusses the working of 

 the elective system, and says that the study which 

 has commanded the preference of the largest 

 number in the classes where there is freedom of 

 choice is Greek, while mathematics commands 

 the preference of the smaller number. It should 

 be borne in mind that this refers to the academical 

 or classical department, not to the School of mines, 

 where those young men are most likely to go who 

 are adverse to Greek and inclined to mathematics. 

 Of those electing, one-half elect French, one-third 

 German, and one-seventh Spanish. The library, 

 which a short time ago was forty-seventh in mag- 

 nitude among collections in the United States, is 

 now twentieth, and connected with it there is a 

 school for the education of librarians. The School 

 of mines, in its new accommodations, is more use- 

 ful than ever, but the tendency to overwork is so 

 strong that the faculty are considering important 

 modifications of the courses. 



President Walker, of the Massachusetts in- 

 stitute of technology, shows that the number of 

 students has increased from 302 in 1881-82, to 

 609 in 1885-86, — a truly wonderful advance. 

 They come from thirty-three states, and their 

 average age is eighteen years and two months. 

 He exhibits the value of the system of receiving 

 young men as 'special students,' — a practice 

 which elsewhere has led to inconveniences and 

 difficulties. 



In the University of Michigan, President Angell 

 expresses regret that there are less students than 

 formerly from homes without that state, and justly 

 says that the institution will suffer if its cos- 

 mopolitan character is lost. He strongly com- 

 mends the working of the elective system, and 

 makes a vigorous, and we hope an irresistible, 

 appeal for continued liberality in the development 

 of the university. 



The annual report of the University of California 

 is prepared by the secretary of the regents, J. H. 

 C. Bonte ; and while it contains all the informa- 

 tion which can be desired, and much more than 

 is commonly given, it indicates the lack of a co- 

 ordinating mind. The new president, Prof. E. S. 

 Holden, entered upon Ids duties after the report 

 was issued, and the result of his oversight will be 

 seen a year hence. The report indicates great 

 generosity in the endowment of the university. 

 Its funds for general purposes amount to $1,678,- 

 386, l>esides the site, the buildings, and certain 

 property not yet available, estimated at more than 

 a million of dollars. In addition to all this, there 



is the great Lick gift, for an observatory, and 

 smaller endowments for medicine and law. 



The full reports of Governor Stanford's gift in- 

 dicate that his purposes are by no means so 

 definite as were at first supposed, and it may be 

 hoped that his mind is still open for suggestions 

 which will tend toward important modifications 

 in the original instrument. 



Col. H. B. Sprague, late of Boston, has become 

 president of Mills college for women, in California, 

 and his inaugural address is a glowing review of 

 the various subjects which tend to constitute a 

 liberal education. 



NEW BOOKS. 

 ' Household economy,' published under the 

 direction of the Kitchen garden association (New 

 York, Ivison, Blakeman, Taylor & Co.), is 

 intended to supply a want long felt by almost 

 every class of society, that of a clear, concise, 

 and systematic text-book on those duties which 

 •'always have claimed, and probably always will 

 claim, the main thought and time of the vast 



majority of women." ' Food -materials and their 



adulterations,' by Ellen H. Richards (Boston, Estes 

 & Lauriat), is a little work intended for the intelli- 

 gent housewife. The author disclaims novelty or 

 originality. In some places the work is too 

 technical for the readers whom the author would 

 reach, and, as in the analysis of milk, some errors 

 have slipped in ; nevertheless the work will serve 

 a very useful purpose, containing as it does a 

 description of the principal food-materials and 

 their adulterations, and at times hints on their 



culinary preparation. ' Nature's teaching,' by 



J. G. Wood (Boston, Roberts), is designed " to 

 show the close connection between nature and 

 human inventions, and thai there is scarcely an 

 invention of man that has not its prototype in 

 nature." The author has there grouped a long 

 series of parallels under the heads 'Nautical,' 

 'War and hunting," 'Architecture,' 'Tools,' 

 'Optics,' 'Useful arts,' and 'Acoustics.' But 

 often the merest resemblance of some natural 

 growth to some human contrivance causes their 

 association, when one has but the remotest con- 

 nection with, or suggest iven ess toward, the other. 



' A handbook to the national museum at 



Washington ' (New York, Brentano brothers) 

 will be a useful guide to the extensive scientific 

 collections of the national museum now on exhibi- 

 tion. It is interspersed with a large number of 

 engravings, mostly good, which, together with 

 the numerous explanatory notes, will give the 

 work an independent value. It was prepared by 

 Mr. Ernest Ingersoll, whose pleasant literary style 

 is well known. 



