these young men did not prevent them from giving some attention to extraordinary phenomena of nature.

The transits which occurred June 5th, 1761, and June 3d, 1769, were taken advantage of by astronomers, who were urged to do so by Dr. Edmund Halley, for measuring the parallax of Venus. The English, French, Russian, and Danish Governments sent expeditions to different parts of the world to observe the transits, and their several observations were discussed by the late Professor Encke, and the result which he derived for the value of the solar parallax has been the accepted value among astronomers until recently. Several other methods gave a larger value of the solar parallax. In 1868, Mr. E. J. Stone, of the Royal Observatory, England, at that time, but now of the Cape of Good Hope, published the result of a new discussion of the observations on the transit of 1769, and he arrived at a result corresponding almost exactly (8".91) with that deduced by other methods. We need only remark that observers who have been sent by the several enlightened governments-Russian, German, French, English, and United States-have all the facilities for observing the transit of the present year that means and skill could suggest.

*

When the planet enters on the sun's disk, and when it leaves it, a somewhat curious phenomenon makes its appearance. A black drop, or a sort of ligament, seems to connect the edges of the two disks, and it becomes very difficult to decide exactly when the edges or limbs of the sun and planet are in contact; and, as this is a very important observation, a small degree of uncertainty attaches to the results which the observers give. Every effort will be made to obviate all uncertainty and error of this kind; and we can but hope that the various contrivances which have been devised will reduce the errors naturally attending such delicate, yet very important, observations to a minimum. The cause of this black drop, as it has been called, is not thoroughly understood, but

* Monthly Notices, R. A. S., vol. xxviii., pp. 255–266.

it seems to be due to irradiation and to the atmosphere of Venus.* The discussion of the various questions which have arisen is of high importance to the astronomer, but it would possess less interest to the general reader.

The question of the habitability of Venus as well as that of the other planets has arisen, and it has been discussed by able writers, both affirmatively and negatively. Recently Mr. Proctor has attempted to show that the probability is small that any other body than the earth is inhabited; and it is quite possible that he would doubt the habitability of the earth if he did not happen to see that it is. How it should so happen that, at this time in the age of the universe, none of the planets but the earth is adapted to sustaining life, especially since several of the planets, at least, appear to possess many of the appendages and other things which the earth possesses, is not apparent. We frequently see it quoted by newspapers that Mr. Proctor has shown that the planets are not fitted for inhabitants, and if we admit that the worlds are as he supposes them to be the probability is that they are not.

ART. VII. Catalogues and Circulars of Schools, Academies, and Seminaries, embracing all grades.

BEFORE devoting any attention to these various documents, or to the institutions which they represent, we beg leave to remark that it is not inane, pretentious teachers alone who are to blame for the deplorable defects in our educational system, which, without the least inclination to be harsh or unkind, we criticise and expose. The more cultivated portion of the public have not the faintest idea of the extent to which

* On the subject of irradiation, see an article by the Abbé Moigno, Smithsonian Report, 1866, p. 232.

parents and guardians deserve to partake of the odium, because that class know better than to behave tyrannically toward the instructors of their sons and wards. But, unfortunately, there are a large class who think that because they pay their money they have a right to dictate to those who receive it.

Those best known in society by the prefixes "purse-proud," "shoddy," etc., affect to have no respect for rules or regu lations, and seem to take a pleasure in causing the violation of both. This we could illustrate by numerous examples. We mean to do so in an article devoted exclusively to that subject; but in the present paper we can only allude to the evil, serious and fundamental as it is.

Competent educators are generally spirited as well as honest, and therefore will not submit, for pecuniary gain, to be dictated to or bullied. Some of the consequences are obvious enough. Pupils are withdrawn from those who have the abilities and the wish to instruct them, and placed in the hands of those who have neither the abilities nor the wish to give them any instruction that will avail them in after life. Another class have also plenty of money, but no heart to make judicious use of it. These select their teachers as they do their tailors, or shoemakers, for their cheapness. Hence it is that we frequently find excellent schools with only a small number of students, while just as often we find execrable schools crowded to overflowing.

We occasionally allude to the high prices charged at some institutions, and comment on their "extra charges." But in no instance have we meant that a good educator is paid too much, for no one is so ill paid in proportion to the value of the services he renders. "A nation," says Zoroaster, "that grudges to reward its instructors, deserves to be ignorant, and ignorance is the high-road to degeneracy and contempt." It was in vindication of the same sentiment that the Athenian sage, who had spent his life in teaching, full of grief at being neglected in his old age, exclaimed, "Ah, Pericles, those in need of a lamp should take care to supply it with oil!”

With these few remarks as a preface, we proceed to give

some outlines of different grades of institutions just as they have impressed us by their respective systems, or other performances. Preferring to begin as well as end our discussion in as agreeable a manner as is consistent with justice and truth, we first direct our attention to an educator whose worth is acknowledged even by his rivals.

Prompted by the fame of the Rev. Dr. Holbrook's Military School at Sing Sing, it has long been our wish to see it. Since the principal favored us with an invitation more than once, the only obstacle has been the difficulty of finding time. This we managed to set aside some two weeks ago, and, high as our expectations had been, they were more than realized. We had long known from experience that those who invite criticism are as sure to perform their work intelligently and faithfully, as we had that those who would exclude criticism only pretend to perform theirs; and our recent visit furnished an interesting and forcible new illustration of the former fact. We had never seen the Rev. Dr. Holbrook before, although his experience as the principal of a classical school has extended to nearly a quarter of a century, including the nine years during which he has conducted his present institution, elevating it to the highest rank among the preparatory class.

The Holbrook Military School is very favorably situated. It is about one mile from the village, occupying an eminence which commands an extensive view of the Hudson where that noble river is most picturesque in its scenery, and most classical in its traditions and history. The buildings are well adapted for their purposes, and possess ample conveniences and appliances, having in view the physical as well as the intellectual welfare of the students. It has also the advantage of extensive play-grounds, with which is connected a gymnasium, so spacious and well equipped that the most stormy weather need not interrupt any necessary or attractive exercise.

And then those stalwart trees, with their wide-spreading branches, adorning the lawn, the shrubbery fringing the background, and the rippling brooklets in the distance, may well

remind the classical student, under the guidance of Dr. Holbrook, of the attractions held out by charming old Maw in his first Eclogue

Ipse te, Tityre, pinus

Ipsi te fontes, ipsa hæc arbusta vocabant.

As at Mount Pleasant Military Academy in the same village, and the Riverview Academy at Poughkeepsie, the mili tary department at Dr. Holbrook's School is designed not for training soldiers, but as a means of physical discipline. The principal of the latter institution agrees with those of the two former that "It is found to be promotive of habits of order and obedience, and thus facilitates mental processes and studious habits," and we cheerfully admit that our experience and observation during the past year, combined with the assurances we have received on the subject from other accomplished and successful educators, satisfy us that the statement just quoted from Dr. Holbrook's catalogue proves in general correct. Nor is there any thing in this admission which is in the least inconsistent with our criticisms on certain "military institutes," "military academies," etc., since what we denounced and exposed to public ridicule was not the military drill, but the too transparent cloak made of it for concealing ignorance and imposture.

Referring to the classical department we need give no details; it will be sufficient for us to say to those in the habit of reading our educational discussions that it ranks with that of the best preparatory institutions whose peculiar merits we have sought to indicate as constituting models, which many concerns claiming to belong to the same class would do well to imitate. In a word, the Holbrook School has many features which remind us of those of the Selleck School at Norwalk, and higher praise than this we could not bestow on any American preparatory institution.

Everybody has heard of a seat of learning in New York city, alternately styled "Charlier Institute," " Charlatan Institute," "French and English Institution for Young Gentlcmen," etc. Several years have now elapsed since we were