effect of the trade winds, which blow, often by no means gently, and yet constantly, off the eastern coast of America. It was Franklin, as Mr. Agassiz tells us, who first systematically observed the facts noticed long before by navigators. "He recorded the temperature of the water as he left the American continent for Europe, and found that it continued cold for a certain distance, then rose suddenly and, after a given time, sank again to a lower temperature, though not so low as before. He inferred that the warm current, keeping its way so steadily through the broad Atlantic, and carrying tropical productions to the northern shores of Europe, must take its rise in tropical regions, must be heated by a tropical sun."

A great many of the observations of the scientific explorer are of course real discoveries, and this in the sense that what is actually seen by the eye of the casual and uninterested observer a thousand times, suggests to his mind nothing worthy of remark. Amongst the curious facts mentioned by Professor Agassiz, is that shrimps of considerable size may be found in all the brooks, and even in the highest pools, about Rio de Janeiro, while crustacea of marine forms occur in the mountain streams generally. He describes with what interest he watched the operations of a little moth, akin to those which destroy the vineyards in Europe. In spinning his cocoon on a leaf, "he had arched the threads upwards in the centre, so as to leave a little hollow space into which he could withdraw; this tiny vault seemed to be completed at the moment we saw him, and he was drawing threads forward and fastening them at a short distance beyond, thus lashing his house to the leaf as it were. The exquisite accuracy of the work was amazing. With every new stitch he turned his body backward, attached his thread to the same spot, then drew it forward and fastened it exactly in a line with the last, with a precision and rapidity that machinery could hardly imitate." The writer strikes us as rather hasty in deciding that this extraordinary accuracy in work is the result simply of the moth's size and organisation, and that the little insect could not make his threads longer or shorter. This, we think, does not account for such wonderful accuracy as to plan. The conclusion is, that its action is rather a function, like digestion or respiration, than an instinct.

Why, we are inclined to ask, does the scientific mind, even of the best disposed, show such constant desire to take the materialistic side whenever possible or plausible, and prefer almost invariably to go against, rather than to agree with, received opinions and the teaching of faith? Thus, towards the close of the book before us, with regard to the arguments based on the differences of formation, complexion, and character in the human race, we confess we have never been able to see why the varieties that result from intermarriage between pure black and pure white, or between the different removes from either of them, may not as easily, perhaps more easily, be accounted for by our firm belief that all came originally from one and the same common stock. The really pure races have become, it is true, very distinct in

character, but we do not see that either the regularity or permanence of the differences between them forces on us the conviction that there could not have been a community of origin for them. All the varieties that result from the intermarriage of those variously removed from Indian, Negro, or White, show, on the contrary, how very easily their distinct characters blend one into the other, and that in exact proportion to the removal from, or approach to, the pure specimen. We see nothing but what we would have expected to see in the fact, that “the offspring of an hybrid between Indian and Negro with an hybrid between Indian and White resumed almost completely the characteristics of the pure Indian.” In fact, the facility in producing all these different varieties of colour and character proves that unrestricted fecundity which is a strong argument in favour of identity of species.

Mr. Agassiz saw for the first time alive the curious fish described as "four-eyed." A membranous fold enclosing the bulb of the eye stretches across the pupil, dividing the visual apparatus into an upper and lower half. No doubt this formation is intended to suit its peculiar habit of remaining on the surface of the water, with its head resting partly above and partly below the surface. Another peculiar family of the fish tribe, called the acara, carries its young in its mouth in the state both of ova and of young ones. Some occasionally lay their eggs in the sand, and, hovering over their nest, take up the little ones in their mouth. In describing the Victoria Regia as it grows in its native waters, in full harmony with dense masses of forest, with birds of every plumage, and insects and fishes of every colour, we are told of the beautiful device by which the whole immense surface of the adult leaf is packed up within the smaller dimensions of the young one; the complete green expanse of the full-grown leaf is gathered in between the small ribs in regular rows of delicate puffing. And afterwards, in proportion as the ribs grow, the leaf lets out one by one its little folds to fill the widening spaces, till at length the whole rests horizontally above the water without a wrinkle. We have only touched on one or two points as instances of the close observation and research of Professor Agassiz, we must refer to the volume itself for all those details of discovery in the fields of geology and zoology which make the account of his travels full of interesting information.

We have received the second volume of Miss Annie Thompson's Metrical Translation of the Following of Christ (Burns, Oates, and Company), and can recommend it as showing the same facility in verse and care of execution which marked her first volume.

ERRATUM.-In "The Autumn of Life," p. 339, fourth line of last stanza but one, for "The sky shines golden and the stars subside,” read "winds subside."

Facts as to Foreign Education.

ABOUT a year and a half ago we drew attention to the conclusions concerning the "common school" system of the United States of America, which were to be drawn from the very interesting Report of the Rev. J. Fraser, sent by the Government of this country as Assistant Commissioner to make inquiries on the spot as to the working and the prospects of that system (MONTH, vol. viii., p. 262. "School Systems in America"). The result of Mr. Fraser's experience in the United States and Canada was not favourable to the American system, which he found to be losing ground as time went on. It is worth while, now that we are on the eve of an Educational battle, to compare the conclusions arrived at by Mr. Fraser in America with those formed by his brother Commissioners in other countries of the civilised world. As it happens, we find the work almost done to our hands in a modest pamphlet of some sixty pages,* on which we shall largely draw in the course of the remarks which we are about to make. It must be remembered, that it is very generally the case that the evidence collected by a Royal Commission is of value at least equal to, if not greater, than the recommendations and Report of the Commissioners themselves. Some people have said, that these recommendations are seldom attended to; but we should measure the usefulness of these Commissions by a false standard were we to consider the question of their success or failure simply by the legislative issue which is at last produced. The importance of these Commissions, when well conducted, lies in the facts that they elicit, which are often collected by men of great ability and very lucidly summarised in the Blue Books which contain their Reports. It may

Popular Education at Home and Abroad. Burns and Oates. 1869.
VOL XI. NOVEMBER, 1869.

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be wise or unwise for the Legislature to depart from the recommendations made by a Royal Commission, especially when that Commission has been to a great extent unanimous; it must always be foolish to neglect the verdict of facts accumulated with the greatest industry, sifted, compared, and arranged clearly and cogently.

And yet, unless we are mistaken, this is just what Parliament will be asked to do by the men who are determined, if they can, to do away with the present denominational system of education in England, and substitute for it a common," "mixed," or exclusively secular education, which, again, they hope to make compulsory. We have lately observed that the questions of mixed or secular, and of compulsory, education are distinct, and that there is no necessary connection between them. Still, it must be remembered, that the character of the education to which parents are to be forced to submit their children will have a most important influence on the view which we may be inclined to take on the other question of compulsoriness. It may be tolerable to see parents forced to send their children to school, when the teaching of that school lays no burthen upon the conscience and is favourable to the faith of the parents. It would be an intolerable tyranny, suggestive of the immediate approach of Antichrist himself, if Christian and Catholic parents were forced by law to send their children and the children of the Church to schools in which their own religion was proscribed, and a "mixed" religion taught.

We have said that the measure on which the enemies of religious education in this country are intent would imply a foolish neglect of the experience of other countries, as collected by the Assistant Commissioners. The pamphlet now before us contains extracts from the Reports of these gentlemen relating to the state of Education in Germany, America, Holland, Switzerland, and France. We may leave out America, as having already spoken of the Report of Mr. Fraser. Let us see what his colleagues tell us with regard to other countries. In Germany it would seem certain that there is a decided return to "denominationalism." Such a return may be either formal

or informal: that is, it may consist either in an alteration of the theory, or in a more or less partial and tolerated restoration in practice of the denominational character of the schools. Such, for certain, has been to some extent the case in Ireland, where the National Schools are in many places practically denominational, with the vexatious qualification of certain hindrances to religious teaching. In Germany, Mr. Pattison tells us, there is a great reaction in favour of religious education. "We find," he says, "that the very foremost feature in the educational condition of Germany at this moment is a revival of the influence of the Church and its claims to educate the people" (p. 15).* He gives the following account of the manner in which an anti-denominational system in Silesia has been practically set aside. The school regulation for Silesia, made in May, 1801, ordered that

"In parishes of mixed population the schoolmaster shall instruct all children, without distinction of religion, in reading, writing, and all other branches which do not pertain to religion. The books used for reading out of shall be such as contain nothing of the distinctive doctrines of either confession. All the children must attend the common prayer or hymn usual before or after school, but neither must contain anything one-sided or belonging to religious party. The master gives religious instruction only to children of his own faith. The children of the other party remain away on the days or hours set apart for this purpose, and are to receive their religious teaching from the clergyman of their own persuasions." According to this edict, a number of the Silesian schools would be treated as mixed schools; and any school was liable to become a mixed school when children of the opposite faith were sent for admission. But in practice the intention of the law was wholly defeated. The Catholic clergy, who act with an independence of the civil power which the Evangelical Church cannot attain to, treated both the regulation of 1801 and the paragraph above cited from the code of 1794 as a dead letter. They no longer opposed the attendance of Protestant children, but obliged them to participate in all the religious lessons and services with the Catholic children. most they were excused attendance at Mass on those days on which the school attended in a body. The Evangelical schools dealt more leniently with their Catholic scholars, excusing them from getting by rote the catechism and church hymns, but Our references, for the sake of convenience, are to the pamphlet abovenamed.

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