stances from those at Berlin; they are generally younger, and, being independent of the school, where they pay for their education, are not under the same restraint as in the other institution; hence the experience of the one school does not apply in full force to the other. At Dresden, in a school somewhat similar to that of Berlin, a different mode from either of those just mentioned has been adopted. An arrangement is made with a number of mechanics, of different occupations, to receive pupils from the schools as apprentices, allowing them the privilege of attending, during certain specified hours of the day, upon the theoretical exercises of the institution. Where such an arrangement can be made, the results are unexceptionable, and the advantages likely to accrue to the mechanic arts, from the union of theory with practice, will offer a strong inducement to liberally disposed mechanics to take apprentices upon these terms. Small workshops, connected with an institution, must necessarily offer inferior advantages, even if closely regulated, so as to procure the greatest possible amount of work from the pupils; this should not be done for the sake of the profit, but to give him genuinely good habits.

"The difficulties in giving practical instruction in the chemical arts are not to be compared with those under discussion, and will be found to have been satisfactorily obviated in several schools. This subject will receive its more appropriate discussion in connexion with the polytechnic institution of Vienna, where the chemical department, at least as far as manufacturing chemistry is concerned, is generally recognised as having produced the best results of any yet established.

"Returning to the subject of the theoretical instruction in the Berlin institute of arts, the following statement will serve to show the succession of the courses, with the time devoted to each:

Winter Course.

"MONDAY.-First Class. First division-drawing and sketching machines, eight A. M. to twelve o'clock. Discussion of machines, estimates of power, &c, two P. M. to five P. M. Second division-machine drawing, eight to ten. Modeling in clay, ten to twelve. Physics, two to five. Second Class. Machine-drawing, eight to ten. Modeling, ten to twelve. Elements of geometry, two to four. Repetition of the lecture, four to five. TUESDAY.-First Class. First division-architectural plans and estimates, eight to twelve. Practical instruction in machinery, two to five. Second division-ornamental and architectural drawing, eight to twelve. Trigonometry, two to five. Second Class. Ornamental and architectural drawing, eight to twelve. Physics, two to four. Repetition of the lecture, four to five.

WEDNESDAY.-First Class. First division-original designs, eight to twelve. Discussion of machinery. Second division-mineralogy, eight to nine. Machine-drawing, nine to twelve. Trigonometry, two to five. Second Class. Machine-drawing, eight to twelve. Practical arithmetic, two to five.

THURSDAY.-First Class. First division-Drawing and sketching machines, eight to twelve. Architectural instruction, estimates, two to five. Second division-decorative and architectural drawing, eight to ten. Modeling in clay, ten to twelve. Trigonometry, two to five. Second Class. Decorative and architectural drawing, eight to ten. Modeling in clay, ten to twelve. Physics, two to four. Repetition of the lecture, four to five. FRIDAY.-First Class. First division-architectural plans, eight to twelve.

Practical instruction in machinery, two to five. Second division-machinedrawing, eight to twelve. Physics, two to five. Second Class. Machine

drawing, eight to twelve. Elementary mathematics, two to four. Repetition of the lesson, four to five.

SATURDAY.-First Class. First division-perspective and stone-cutting, eight to twelve. Original designs, two to five. Second division--mineralogy, eight to nine. Decorative and architectural drawing, nine to twelve Trigonometry, two to five. Second Class. Decorative and architectural drawing, eight to twelve. Practical arithmetic, two to five.

The summer term, which follows this, embraces the practical instruction. Summer Term.

MONDAY-First Class. First division-in the work-shops from seven A. M. to twelve, and from one until seven P. M. Second division-machine-drawing, eight to twelve. Applied mathematics, two to five. Second Class. Machine-drawing, eight to ten. Modeling, ten to twelve. Chemistry, two to four. Repetition, four to five.

TUESDAY.--First Class. First division-analytical dynamics, eight to nine. Drawing of machines from original designs, nine to twelve. Machinery, two to five. Second division-decorative and architectural drawing, eight to twelve. Chemistry, two to five. Second Class. Decorative and architectural drawing, eight to twelve. Elementary mathematics, two to four. Repetition, four to five.

WEDNESDAY.-First Class. First division-in the work-shops from seven to twelve, and from one to seven. Second division-machine-drawing, eight to ten. Modeling, ten to twelve. Applied mathematics, two to five. Second Class. Machine-drawing, eight to twelve. Practical arithmetic, two to four. Materials used in the arts, four to five.

THURSDAY.-First Class. First division-in the work-shops from seven to twelve, and from one to seven. Second division-machine-drawing, eight to ten. Modeling, ten to twelve, Applied mathematics, two to five. Second Class. Decorative and architectural drawing, eight to ten. Modeling, ten to twelve. Chemistry, two to four. Repetition of the lesson, four to five.

FRIDAY. First Class. First division-analytical dynamics, eight to nine. Drawing of a machine for an original design, nine to twelve. Machinery, two to five. Second division-chemistry, eight to nine. Applied mathe. matics, nine to twelve. Chemistry, two to five. Second Class. Machinedrawing, eight to twelve. Elementary mathematics, two to four. Repeti tion of the lesson, four to five.

SATURDAY.-First Class. First division-in the work-shops from seven to twelve, and from one to seven. Second division-decorative and architectural drawing, eight to twelve. Applied mathematics, two to five. Second Class. Decorative and architectural drawing, eight to twelve. Practical arithmetic, two to four. Materials used in the arts, four to five.

The chemical division of the practical classes is engaged every day in the laboratory. On Tuesday and Wednesday the library is open for reading from five to eight, P. M.

"The collections for carrying out the various branches of instruction are upon the same liberal scale with the other parts of the institution. There is a library of works on architecture, mechanics, technology, the various arts, archeology, &c., in German, French and English. This library is open

twice a week, from five to eight in the evening, to the pupils of the first class of the school, and to such mechanics as apply for the use of it.

*

"There is a rich collection of drawings of new and useful machines, and of illustrations of the different courses, belonging to the institution. Among them is a splendid work, published under the direction of Mr. Beuth, entitled Models for Manufacturers and Artisans (Vorlegeblatter fur Fabricanten und Handwerker), containing engravings by the best artists of Germany, and some even from France and England, applicable to the different arts and to architecture and engineering. Among the drawings are many from original designs by Shenckel, of Berlin. There is a second useful but more ordinary series of engravings, on similar subjects, also executed for the use of the school. These works are distributed to the provincial trade schools, and presented to such of the mechanics of Prussia as have especially distinguished themselves in their vocations. The collection of models of machinery belonging to the school probably ranks next in extent and value to that at the Conservatory of Arts of Paris. It contains models of such machines as are not readily comprehended by drawings. Most of them are working models, and many were made in the work-shops of the school. They are constructed, as far as possible, to a uniform scale, and the parts of the models are of the same materials as in the actual machine. There is an extensive collection of casts, consisting of copies of statues, basso-relievos, utensils, bronzes, and vases of the museums of Naples, Rome, and Florence, and of the British Museum, and of the models of architectural monuments of Greece, Rome, Pompeii, &c., and copies of models, cameos, and similar objects; those specimens only have been selected which are not in the collection of the Academy of Fine Arts of Berlin, to which the pupils of the Institute of Arts have access. There are good collections of physical and chemical apparatus, of minerals, of geological and technological specimens.

"The instruction is afforded in part by the lectures of the professors, aided by text-books specially intended for the school, and in part by the interrogations of the professors and of the assistants and repeaters. At the close of the first year there is an examination to determine which of the pupils shall be permitted to go forward, and at the close of the second year to determine which shall receive the certificate of the institute. Although the pupils who come from the provinces are admitted to the first class of the institute, upon their presenting a 'testimonial that they have gone through the courses of the provincial schools satisfactorily, it frequently happens that they are obliged to retire to the second, especially from defective knowledge of chemistry.

"The cost of this school to the government is about twelve thousand dollars annually, exclusive of the amount expended upon the practical courses and upon the collections a very trifling sum, if the good which it is calculated to do throughout the country is considered. The comparatively recent existence of the institution does not admit of appealing to decided results which have flowed to the mechanic arts in Prussia from its establishment, but there can be no doubt of its tendency, and its pupils are already known to be making their way successfully, in consequence of the advantages which they have here enjoyed."

We trust, it will not be very long before the institution of seminaries, analogous in principle to the one above described, will become an object of

* A copy of this work has been most liberally presented to the Girard College by the Technical Commission, of which, Mr. Beuth is president. The work having been published by the government, is not sold.

legislative regard in some, at least, of the United States. Schools for the blind, and for deaf mutes, have taken root effectually in the philanthropy of the country, and it is scarcely to be questioned that the tendency of our civism is to the adoption of every useful discovery, whether in mechanical or moral science, as soon as its character of utility and beneficence has received the sanction of an evident demonstration.

G.

Scientific Memoirs, selected from the transactions of Foreign Academies of Science, and learned Societies, and from Foreign Journals. Edited by RICHARD TAYLOR, F. S. A.

The enterprise of the Editor of this valuable series of papers we can readily conceive to have been dictated by the pure love of Science, and the pleasure derived from witnessing its extensive and increasing propagation in every country where the English language is read and spoken. Without some such undertaking, many of the most learned and original papers, published in Russia, Prussia, Germany, France, and Italy, would remain excluded from English readers, excepting the few who could gain access to the foreign Journals, and were able to relish their perusal in a foreign tongues The Editor, after being encouraged to commence the translation and pub. lication of the best of the foreign memoirs, a work which necessarily involveno little expense, was obliged, on the completion of the first volume to suspend it for some time for want of adequate patronage. We are pleased to find that this result has excited a feeling of regret among the friends of Science in Great Britain, and that the Editor is again encouraged to persevere. Part 2d, of the 2d vol., (part 6th, of the whole) has just been received by the Franklin Institute, and we can do no less than speak in terms of high commendation of the beauty of the paper, and of the execution, typo. graphical and lithographical.

The contents of part VI, are,

1. Memoir on the Polarization of Heat. By Macedoine Melloni.

2. General Theory of Terrestrial Magnetism. By Carl Friedrich Gauss, Professor in the University of Gottingen.

3. On a new Instrument for the direct Observation of the changes in the intensity of the horizontal portion of the terrestrial magnetic force. By Carl Friedrich Gauss.

4. Observations on the arrangement and use of the Bifilar Magnetometer. By Wilhelm Weber.

5. Contributions to our knowledge of Phytogenesis. By Dr. M. J. Schleiden.

The names of the authors of these memoirs are sufficient to impress the stamp of high value on the contents of part VI., and although the essays may be too learned for popular perusal, they ought to be accessible to teachers and professors of Science, and hence, are deserving a place in every College Library, and collection of learned works on Science. In the subscription list we find but five copies for the United States, and those all in Philadelphia except one, viz: Columbia College, New York.

G.

4

Physical Science.

NASHVILLE UNIVERSITY, Jan. 1, 1840.

TO THE COMMITtee of the Franklin Institute ON METEOROLOGY.

GENTLEMEN,-Believing that your committee on Meteorology would gladly receive a few observations during the late solstice, I send you my notes of the weather at that time. I begin with Dec. 21st, and continue them with some intermissions to the 24th. If you think them worthy, you may send them in such form as you think fit, to the South African L. & Phil, Institution. The remainder of my communication is intended for your Committee. The past summer exceeded in drought, not only that of 1838, but any one ever remembered by the oldest inhabitants. There had been less rain than usual, the winter preceding, and although there were some good showers about the beginning of May, the ground was remarkably dry. In June, July, and August, but especially in the last two, we suffered for want of rain, and springs failed, that never failed before. The beautiful Aurora of Sept. 3, was followed by a copious rain in about 20 hours. Clear weather succeeded on the 9th, and there was no more rain until Nov. 1st, with the exception of light falls on the 17th, and 27th of Sept., and 27th Oct. With the 1st of November, the springs and creeks began to swell a little, and the popular opinion was that the rise was caused by the increase of cold. There was no rain in this vicinity sufficient to produce the effect, but there were rains at the time west of the mountains and north of us.

During November we had 3.64 inches of rain, and on the 25th day the Ther. fell to 9°, while the Bar. rose to 30.08 inches.

Such a temperature in November is very unusual-from May until this day the Ther. has not been so low, nor the Bar, as high. In December rain began at 8 P. M. on the 6th, and continued moderately until the 12th, changing into snow on the 9th at night, half an inch deep, (the first of the season) making of rain in all only .83in.

December, 12 and 13, cloudy-wind SW., SE., and East; 14th cloudy -SW.; 15th, clear-W.; 16th, cloudy-N. E.; 17th, clear-W.; Ther. 17 min. I state the above facts, because the newspapers inform us of a violent storm in the East on the 14th and 15th.

December 30th, a snow storm began here at day-break with an East and NE. wind, and continued until 4 P. M., when it lay 7 inches deep. It was followed by hail all night.

December 31, a pretty thick crust on the snow; hail continued till 9 A. M., and then a light snow through the day, Bar. 29.36, at noon began to rise at 2 P. M., when it was 29.38, wind N.; cloudy all night, but clear this morning. The amount of rain in December 2.70 inches.

Mean temperature, June, 73.17; July, 77.88; August, 77.82; September, 65.58; October, 64.65; November, 41.11; December, 34.17; max. temp. of summer 95°--river too low for boats.

Very respectfully, Yours, &c.,

JAMES HAMILTON.