strong talons. elevates its neck nearly in a line with its back, and throws forward its breast.

I. The eagle is the largest the most | It perches boldly, by means of its powerful of the raptorial order. A fullgrown eagle is about 3 feet long, and expands its wings upwards of 7 feet. The wings, when closed, reach nearly II. The eagle is its habit solitary, to the end of the tail, which is of a fierce, not easily tamed. It builds its rounded form. The eye is large and nest on elevated rocks, ruined towers, fiery, and meets with undimmed and other sequestered places. The lustre the blaze of the noon-day sun, nest is a mere platform, five or six feet The beak is large and strongly curved, wide, formed of sticks and heaths. It and the talons are sharp and strong. I tenaciously retains the recollection of

[H. B. should endeavour to improve his composition.-ED.]

NOTICES OF BOOKS.

The Steps of Jesus. By R. Mimpriss. Wertheim and Macintosh.-The purpose of this very cheap little book is to provide for schools a reading book of Gospel History, so constructed as to interweave the four Evangelical narratives into one continous biography of our Saviour, The order and harmony follow the arrangement of the Rev. Edward Greswell, and the narrative is made up in the words of the authorised version. For school purposes, this book is divided into 100 lessons of moderate length, each with the proper headings and references to the chapter and verse of the text, and to the various localities in Palestine, where the events recorded took place. This text-book of Gospel History is in extensive use both in Sunday and day schools, and is worthy of the high sanction and patronage it has obtained. We heartily recommend it to all pergons engaged in Scriptural Instruction,

The Geography of Coast Lines. By W. Lawson. Piper and Co-Mr. Lawson in this work offers, to persons preparing for Government examinations, the lessons given by himself to students of the Normal Training College, Durham. From our own knowledge, we are assured of a large demand for this kind of information, and it is therefore to us a pleasure to be able to call the attention of our readers to the appearance of a book so long inquired for. The coast lines taken up are those of Great Britain, Ireland, Europe, Asia, Africa, America, and Australia-first in their general character, then more particularly in their several natural sections. As the coasts are tracked round, the more striking physical features are noted, together with the principal towns of commercial or historical interest. Mr. Lawson recommends the use of his book by the side of an atlas. We endorse this recommendation, as it is quite possible that in a work so full of facts, a little slip may have been made here and there. So we take it to be in the following passage:-"In Kent chalk cliffs again appear until we arrive at the South Foreland. The coast now inclines to the S.W., and is low and marshy. From Beechy Head a large curve brings us to Selsea Bill, when chalk cliffs again appear." The impression this passage must leave on the mind is, that the chalk disappears between the South Foreland and Selsea Bill, and that the coast between those two points is low and marshy. Such an impression would be rather unfortunate for an examinee, if called upon to describe that part of the coast. Again, in tracing the south bank of the Thames, we are made to pass Greenwich, Woolwich, Chatham, and come to Sheerness. Now Chatham is not on the Thames at all, but several miles up the Medway; but Gravesend, with nearly 20,000 inhabitants, and a place continually in the mouths of our whole seafaring and metropolitan populations, is on the Thames, and is not named. We like the book, though we thus speak. The method is good, and the defects admit of remedy.

Home and School. By R. J. Dixon. Partridge and Co.-The purpose of this "Tale of Every-day Life" is to show the influence of school upon home, and how a schoolmaster may, by attention to cleanliness and other little matters, lead parents to be attentive too, and in some cases completely change the current of a family's history. No one can question this kind of influence; it is in operation in connexion with every good school, and its importance cannot be too highly valued. The tale is very simple in its structure, and effectively told, but perhaps rather too full of the vulgarisms of the ignorant and depraved. It should, we think, be an object in all literature, especially in that likely to circulate among the lower classes, to purify the vulgar tongue. There should be no difficulty in finding a vocabulary sufficiently full and simple to reach the lowest, without resorting to that class of vocables, which every one desirous of elevating the lower classes must wish extinct. To stereotype low expressions, or slang of any kind, is to our minds a sin against the Commonwealth.

Education as a Means of Preventing Crime and Destitution. By A. Mosely. Judd and Glass.-This is a small pamphlet containing a "Paper" read before the United Associatiotion of Schoolmasters, together with a report of the discussion thereon. It will repay a careful perusal.

TESTIMONIAL.

Mr. Priddin from the children of the Houghton-le-Spring Wesleyan School.

Correspondence.

SIR, The following extract is taken from a newspaper report of the late proceedings at Birmingham:

Dr. Miller vindicated the schools of Birmingham, as being well suited to the persons for whom they were intended. Sir John Packington said the schools of England, generally, were unsuited for the people.

Is Sir J. Packington's opinion well founded? How is such a fact to be ascertained? Is the inquiry necessarily limited to an examination of what the schools are compared with the supposed wants of the people? In this case of course opinion would be almost infinitely various. Or, is it possible to arrive at a more satisfactory conclusion from observation of results? How is the latter plan to be tried? What is the test of adaptation and success? I conceive that we must exclude from our inquiry all those scholars who from migratory habits or otherwise do not remain in school long enough to derive the benefit of the education which that school offers. We must in common fairness limit our inquiry to those who are really educated in the school, and the inquiry must be extended over a period of many years.

For above 20 years I have had the principal management of a large Metropolitan School, in a central district, which is a fair specimen of National Schools in town populations, i. e., for perhaps half the working classes in England.

I have not only visited that school almost daily, but have made it my business constantly to inquire into the future course of the scholars. The boys educated in that school have gone into every variety of employment open for children of the working classes. Apprentices to various trades, schoolmasters, lawyers' clerks, &c., and the result of my observation is that the education imparted in such school, though quite elementary in its character, does nevertheless thoroughly prepare the minds of boys of ordinary intelligence for success in their various callings. In addition to this opinion of mine I have known many men (who obtained their education solely in that school, and who have risen to positions in life considerably higher than that of their parents) testify their satisfaction with the education which they there received, as being the foundation of the success which has attended their subsequent course.

It might be satisfactory if other persons would communicate the results of their observation. In the present aspect of the Education question it is a matter of great importance to ascertain whether our schools are, in the main, adapted for the people in other words, whether extension' is the principal want, or whether, in addition to that, there must be an entire remodelling.

Has Sir John Pakington grounded his opinion on evidence of results?
London.

J. M.

SIR,-Would any of your readers kindly give me his plan of dealing with the Scholars in his School where they are reported to him by a Pupil Teacher for disobedience, or breaking any other rule of the School. I have been recommended to use a "Bad Mark Paper," to be kept by a Scholar in the Class, in the following manner. When a boy does anything against order of the School, the Pupil Teacher has a mark put to his name. When he has obtained a certain fixed number of marks, say four, he is sent to the Master for punishment. It appears to me that a great deal of injustice is liable to attend this method, especially where there is a Pupil Teacher in his first or second year, for 1 have known cases of scholars being screened and favoured by the Pupil Teacher if that scholar brings any present to the Teacher, or if he is a boy to whom the Pupil Teacher is attached in any manner.