among them the following, which, how ever, he by no means endorses:

"The idea that the moon should have something to do with the production of earthquakes is a very natural one. The body whose attractive power raises the ocean tides exercises its influence on the dry land just as much as on the sea, and the only reason why the land does not respond to the attraction is because of its immobility. But a force so resisted means internal strain, and we have every reason to believe that corresponding to the tide of movement on the ocean, there is a tide of strain on the land. How may this strain make itself apparent? A breath of autumn air brings down the leaves that have withstood a summer's gales, a snapping twig has loosed the Alpine avalanche. The crust of our earth is not solid. There are cavities and fissures in its mass, frail places, where only a touch, as it were, may cause collapse; and the series of changes so begun may involve a continent in ruin before it is ended. And the tidal strain, as it passes regularly round the globe, may one day supply just the needed touch, thus becoming an agent of destruction none the less potent because it only plays the part of trigger-puller. The theory is plausible, and to a certain extent the researches of Professor Perrey bear it out. He found that earthquakes rather more frequent when the tidal pull

are

is strong-that is, when the sun and moon are pulling in line (at new or full moon), and when the moon is in the part of her orbit nearest to the earth (perigee). The difference, however, was only small, and as other investigators have arrived at contradictory results, the lunar theory in this form has not held its ground."

ARITHMETIC IN SCHOOLS. Several months ago the Boston School Committee passed a resolution to the effect that the study of so-called Arithmetic in the Grammar Schools of this city covers much ground which does not come within the proper scope of Arithmetic, but to the domain of Logic, and suggesting an inquiry as to whether it was not practicable to reduce and simplify the studies and exercises now prescribed under the head of Arithmetic." One result of this action of the Boston Committee is thus stated in Science :

"Gen. Francis A. Walker drew up a

Nine

series of eleven questions, and submitted them to the school principals for the purpose of obtaining specific information, and was fairly successful in the attempt. Twenty-five principals said, that, were the matter left wholly to their own judgment, they would considerably diminish the amount of arithmetic taught; twenty would not diminish it; and five would diminish it slightly. As to the character of the changes desired, there was great diversity of opinion. Thirteen would omit Discount, thirteen Mensuration, thirteen the Metric System-a most absurd suggestion, in view of the increasing tendency to use this system in scientific books. would do away with Compound Proportion, eight with Exchange, seven with Cube Root, two with some of Partial Payments. Thirty-two thought the practice of memorizing the multiplication-table at first injudicious, fourteen considered it advisable, while eight gave a qualified answer. The gist of the conclusions reached is, that the study of arithmetic should be simplified by omitting various specified operations and over-difficult applications of the rest. In fact, the aim of the teacher should be, not to puzzle but to train the pupil. That this is sound doctrine is certain, but on what application of it the metric system is omitted we fail to see."

T," writing from Dunedin, New Zealand,

A PERIPATETIC UNIVERSITY.-G. M.

says, in Science:—

But

The University of New Zealand,' to which the 'University colleges' now well established at Dunedin, Christchurch, and Auckland, and a few of the large secondary schools are affiliated, is a somewhat anomalous body. It consists of a Senate and Convocation, endowed with powers to grant degrees and to manage their own internal affairs, and supported by a small annual grant from the government. like the University of London, whose example it intended to follow, it has no teaching staff in direct connection with it, and, to suit the geographical conditions of the country, it is peripatetic, holding its annual session in one or other of the larger towns. Its headquarters for the time being will always be where its Chancellor resides; and as that honorable position is held at present by Dr. Hector, the chief scientific adviser of the government, the seat of administration is in Wellington."