438 
Notices of Books. [June, 
so great a space.” It must, however, be remembered that the 
isolation between Britain and Japan is less in reality than in 
seeming. Both are merely outlying portions of one and the 
same zoological region with which they were at one time actually 
connected. Most of the species enumerated by Mr. Christy are 
traceable across the European and Asiatic continents. 
Victorian Year-Book for 1877-8. By H. H. Hayter, Govern- 
ment Statist of Victoria. Melbourne : J. Ferries and G. 
Robertson. London : G. Robertson. 
From among the valuable matter to be found in it we extract 
the following account of the appliances for scientific education 
existing in the colony of Victoria : — There are Schools of Mines 
both at Ballarat and Sandhurst. At the former there are classes 
for different branches of mathematics, for engineering, surveying 
both above and below ground, chemistry, metallurgy and assay- 
ing, telegraphy, and the French and German languages. The 
chemical laboratory contains twenty work- tables for students, 
and in the metallurgical laboratory there are twelve reducing 
furnaces. During 1877 the number of students in the January, 
April, July, and October terms respectively was 48, 58, 79, and 
60. The Museum of the Institution contains 1594 mineralogical 
and geological specimens, besides models, but — like the library 
of three hundred bound books — is obviously still in its infancy. 
The buildings of the Melbourne Public Library have cost 
£111,604, and are still unfinished. The total number of volumes 
at the end of 1877 was 101,276. 
The Industrial and Technological Museum contains 1100 pub* 
lications, 23,725 specimens, and 112 drawings. Class leCtures 
are given here on chemistry, mining, and telegraphy, the last- 
mentioned subject attracting as many pupils as the two former 
conjointly. 
The so-called National Museum occupies a building on the 
grounds of Melbourne University. It comprises specimens of 
minerals, stuffed animals and birds, inseCts, “ and other objeCts 
of curiosity,” — an expression which savours of the pre-scientific 
ages when biological collections were not understood to be 
means for study. 
The account of Melbourne University throws no light on the 
all-important question whether it is preparing students for aCtual 
research or merely turning out examinees. 
