SCHOOL SERIES, EDITED BY THE REV. G. R. GLEIG, M.A., INSPECTORGENERAL OF MILITARY SCHOOLS. SECOND BOOK OF HISTORY; THE BRITISH COLONIES. THIRD BOOK OF HISTORY; BRITISH INDIA. FOURTH BOOK OF HISTORY-SACRED HISTORY, IN TWO PARTS. PARTS I. AND II.

AN EXPLANATION OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR, FOR BEGINNERS, BY WALTER M'LEOD, HEAD MASTER OF THE MODEL SCHOOL, ROYAL ASYLUM, CHELSEA. (London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans.) THESE five volumes are a fair specimen of Mr. Gleig's School Series, and upon the whole we consider them to be highly satisfactory. Of course they vary in point of excellence: they differ much in character and quality, as is usually the case in a series of publications. The second and third books of History are decidedly useful and instructive works. In the former we are presented with a brief and interesting description of the British Colonies and dependencies in the various parts of the world. The latter is an instructive sketch of British India in particular, beginning with the earliest notices of that extensive and remarkable country preserved among the records of antiquity, and continuing, in chronological order, the various changes of dynasty and constitution, &c. which it has undergone up to the present period. The subjects of these volumes are perfectly novel to the generality of readers. We may venture to say that there is scarcely one person in thirty, including teachers of every description and denomination, who has really any knowledge of the history of our colonies and AngloIndian territories; of their original inhabitants, their manners, religion, occupation, and subjugation; of the wars, massacre, bloodshed, and horrid cruelties which preceded these conquests or arose from these possessions; of the influences which they have had on the commerce of Europe in general, and the wealth and character of England in particular; of the eminent men who have been connected with these dependencies, whether as statesmen, or generals, or merchants, or ecclesiastics, or antiquaries; or, indeed, of their productions, natural features, and local peculiarities. These subjects certainly deserve more attention than they have hitherto received, and we hope these little volumes before us, which are well written, moderate in price, and contain much valuable information on these matters, will do something towards removing the prevailing ignorance.

Of the fourth book of History we cannot speak so favourably. The design and arrangement are good, but the details are defective. Nevertheless it may be of service to a class " which has overcome all the ordinary difficulties of the English language," though it will never answer the purpose for which it was intended until it has been carefully revised, To explain what we mean :-The object of the writer (in his own words) is "to bring down to the capacities of children, and of uneducated grown persons, the sacred history of mankind. All that the Word of God teaches me (he adds) in reference to so important a subject, I strive to communicate to others in its simplicity." Now, whatever merit may be due to this design, we must confess the result to be a failure. The phraseology throughout is very difficult, the language is too rich and elegant, the sentences too complicated,

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the allusions too refined for children and the uneducated. Our space will only allow us to give a few of the many instances which might be produced; these, however, we consider unnecessarily difficult. "To fabricate a tabernacle," "a patrimonial estate reverted," "recapitulation of precepts," "lines of circumvallation drawn," "uncontaminated by familiar intercourse," "to sell to him, in a moment of marvellous weakness, the rights of primogeniture," "expelled the native dynasty," "corroborated by the dictates of an enlightened conscience," transferred the trappings of that kingly power," "torn with democratic factions," "sanguinary policy," "detailed analysis," "contrived an artful scheme to enlist the king's consistency on the side of his prejudices." These, with a variety of such words as "pusillanimity," "blandishments," "emancipated," consummated," "inebriety," "functionaries," simultaneously," "reconnoitre," &c. &c. which abound in the work, we consider beyond the comprehension of an ordinary child, and we fear they would puzzle not a few of our ordinary teachers.

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It is well known that our parochial schoolmasters are not generally skilled in the classics, or even in the principles of etymology; a dictionary must be consulted for all these long uncommon words. This would require time, and often cause great interruption to lessons. Besides, it is far from easy to explain some of these phrases to others, even when the teachers have mastered their meaning. These objections seriously affect the utility of this work. We shall be glad to see them removed, for in other respects it promises to be a valuable addition to our school books.

The "Explanation of English Grammar for Beginners" is evidently the production of a practical man, and as such we strongly recommend it. We are always pleased to see practical men interesting themselves in the cause of education and aiding others with the benefit of their experience. This is what we most need in our parochial schools. Though we abound with school books it is a general and just complaint that there are few that can be considered really good; that in reality we are starving in the midst of plenty. We have been crammed with food which we can neither masticate nor digest. We do not want clever works with studied and elegant phraseology, but common subjects treated in a common simple way; not disguised in the gorgeous attire of classic or Gallic language, but decently adorned in our Saxon mother tongue, the vulgar tongue of the multitude. Mr. M'Leod in his grammar for juveniles has fallen in with our notion. He modestly admits that in the arrangement of his work he has deviated from the usual course, but this can really be no objection considering how the usual course in these matters has departed from common sense and daily experience. We admire the plan because it is simple and perfectly natural, and we have no doubt as to its success.

THE ELEMENTARY CATECHISMS FOR HOME AND SCHOOL, BY THE EDI

TORS от THE ECONOMIST. Price 4d. each. GEOGRAPHY, FIRST LESSONS, GARDENING, HISTORY OF ENGLAND. (Groombridge & Sons, Paternoster Row.)

THESE Catechisms, which are designed for the purposes of home edu

cation as well as for school use, contain, within the brief compass of sixty-four pages, a great deal of useful general information. Add to this, they are neat little volumes and very moderate in price. The catechism on gardening is decidedly the best of the three; it is peculiarly interesting and instructive, and we strongly recommend it to the young. It is no easy matter to write good and practical catechisms for schools, and when written, it is equally puzzling to know how to apply them with advantage. We shall be glad to see a second part to the Geography containing some amusing facts, hints, or anecdotes, for teachers to illustrate the dry details of places, rivers, and mountains in the first part.

A TEXT BOOK OF ZOOLOGY FOR SCHOOLS, BY PHILIP HENRY GOSSE, A.L.G. (London: Printed for the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge.)

WE are always grateful for any information we may receive on the physical world. A knowledge of the animal creation, of the nature, form, and utility of the countless variety of living creatures which people our globe, with which we live, and upon which we depend for many of the pleasures and enjoyments of life, ought surely to form an essential feature in every system of education. We hope in this age of inquiry that due attention will be devoted to this subject by every pedagogue, that the young may be better acquainted with those mysterious creatures which they meet in their daily walks, that they may learn the value of them, and know how to use and not abuse them. In the Text-Book of Zoology, Mr. Gosse has presented us with a neat, handy and interesting volume, illustrated with various engravings. The language, upon the whole, is easy, elegant, and intelligible,

There are a few names and scientific terms which we could wish a little simplified or explained to adapt the book to more general use. It is, however, a pleasant addition to our school series, and as the writer is evidently acquainted with, and interested in the subject, we hope to have the benefit of his future inquiries into the peculiar habits, social relations and obligations of the animal world. By this means he will not only add honour to himself, but will materially promote the cause of education and religion.

LE DICTIONNAIRE DES VERBES ENTIEREMENT CONJUGUES, BY M. A. THI

BAUDIN. (London: Simpkin, Marshall & Co.)

AN elaborate volume, containing all the French verbs, regular and irregular, alphabetically arranged and completely conjugated in all their moods, tenses, numbers, persons, &c.

The conjugations are very clearly arranged in tables, and the principle is easily understood. It is too expensive for a class book, but will be very useful to a teacher, and will frequently settle a doubtful point.

A NEW GREEK DELECTUS, ADAPTED TO THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE REV. C. WORDSWORTH'S GRAMMAR, WITH A LEXICON AND APPENDIX. BY THE REV. H. C. ADAMS, M.A., ASSISTANT-MASTER OF WINCHESTER COLLEGE. (London: David Nutt.)

MR. ADAMS objects to the Delectuses now in use that they are not

drawn up to accompany the first study of the Greek Grammar, and that the rules of grammar, unless they are illustrated by copious examples, and their meaning in that manner brought home to the comprehension of the pupil, become a shapeless mass of words, difficult to recollect, and of little practical use beyond the exercise of the memory.

His volume is arranged so as to be used simultaneously with Wordsworth's Greek Grammar; the examples in the first few pages consist of substantives, with the article, prepositions, and conjunctions; then come adjectives in combination, and so on progressively through the other parts of speech. A Lexicon is appended, which contains all

the words used in the book.

A rule cannot be learned, so as to be of any real use, without examples, and plenty of good examples well learned are as good as rules. We are not, however, prepared to recommend that a boy should begin to translate as soon as he has got through the declensions; we think it is better to make the getting off the forms of grammar altogether an act of memory, and then to proceed to translation. This however may be done with Mr. Adams's book, and as it has a plan which is carefully followed out, and is a sensible improvement on the common reading books, we can recommend it.

A TABLE OF ANTI-LOGARITHMS, AND AN IMPROVED TABLE OF GAUSS'S LOGARITHMS; WITH AN APPENDIX, CONTAINING A TABLE OF ANNUITIES FOR THREE JOINT-LIVES. BY HERSCHELL E. FILI

POWSKI. (London: George Bell.)

PREFIXED to these Tables is a short account of Logarithms in general, and of Anti-Logarithms in particular, together with several examples in illustration of the method of using the anti-logarithmic table, as well as Gauss's logarithms for finding the logarithm of the sum or difference of two quantities whose logarithms are given. In the Introduction the author remarks," that the finding of seven places in numbers is more requisite than the finding of seven places in logarithms must be indisputable to all, since the former expresses the required value in nature, whilst the latter merely expresses its character, by which the working of the computer is facilitated. For in all logarithmic calculations, the ultimate results must finally be reconverted into natural numbers, with which the computer originally started. It is therefore manifest, that the easier two extra places of numbers be obtained, the more valuable becomes the working by logarithms."

The use of the table of anti-logarithms is to determine with facility and accuracy the number to seven places of figures corresponding to a logarithm, resulting from some operation with such numbers. If the usual tables, such as Dr. Hutton's, are made use of, the number corresponding to a given logarithm is readily obtained by inspection to five figures, and to obtain a sixth figure, the difference between the given logarithm and the next less one in the table must be found, and opposite to this difference, in a subsidiary table of differences, the sixth figure is found. A repetition of this process in the subsidiary table alone will give a seventh figure, which will generally be correct to the nearest unit; and thus, by means of an auxiliary table of differences,

the number may be obtained to seven places of figures from the ordinary tables with comparative facility. But though the common tables of logarithms will furnish the number corresponding to any given logarithm to six or seven places of figures, still the utility of a separate table for reconverting logarithms into natural numbers is unquestionable, and Mr. Filipowski's table of anti-logarithms will be found to supply the means of effecting this reconversion with greater facility than by reversing the process when the ordinary logarithmic tables are employed. Mr. Filipowski's table will be found exceedingly useful to land surveyors, and others who are necessarily engaged in the computation of the contents of large triangular-surfaces, and indeed to all who have logarithmic computations to perform. To obtain results to seven places of figures is desirable in many delicate calculations, and every attempt to facilitate the determination of such accurate values cannot be too highly appreciated. The table is a valuable addition to our stock of mathematical tables, since, by means of it, very little additional labour is required to obtain the two extra figures which are not inserted in the ordinary tables. As an example, let it be required to find the natural number corresponding to the logarithm 2.6184032. Leaving the characteristic, 2, out of consideration, the number corresponding to 61840, the first five figures of the mantissa, is 4153364; then in the proper column of differences, opposite to 32 (the remaining figures of the mantissa) stands 31, which added to the last two figures of the number 4153364 gives 4153395. The characteristic, 2, determines the number of integer figures, and the required number is therefore 415.3395. By a reverse process the table may be used for finding the logarithms of numbers.

By means of Gauss's table the working of various calculations in trigonometry and astronomy is greatly abridged and facilitated, especially in equations, which have the sign of addition or subtraction combined with those of multiplication and division. It may also be successfully applied in calculating annuities, for " instead of converting the logarithm of a certain annuity into a number, and then adding 1 to the results before another annuity can be obtained, we simply enter this differential table, where, by mere inspection, the logarithm of the required annuity is readily found." We shall give an example of the use of this table.

Given log. a='51708, and log.b=31262 to find log.(a+b) and log.(a - b).

The difference of these logarithms is 20446, and opposite to 204 we get 41490; then in the proper column of differences opposite to the two remaining figures, 46, we find 28, which is to be added to 41490, and the sum, 41518, added to the less logarithm, 31262, gives 72780 for the logarithm of a + b.

To find the logarithm of a-b, enter the table inversely with the same difference 20446, and its corresponding value is readily found to be 9.77906, which added to log. b=31262, gives (omitting 10 in the place of integers) 09168, which is the logarithm of a-b.

By ineans of this table, the logarithm of the hypothenuse of a rightangled triangle may be determined from knowing only the logarithms of the two sides containing the right angle.