totality, the sky grew ashen, or rather leaden in hue, and as, with face turned towards the sun, I kept the count from the chronometer for the first exposure, Venus and Mercury came out shining beautifully on a ground of bluish grey. I thought I saw a flashing, twirling motion in the corona, or in the last rays of the sun; but of this I will not be positive, for my attention was not, at the time, specially directed to minute observation. Moths and insects in profusion passed between me and the sun, while a flock of birds with troubled irregular flight seemed seeking cover from the unnatural gloom which surrounded them. A low moaning wind now sprang up, and the whole atmosphere seemed filled with a leadcoloured vapour, and I experienced an indescribable feeling of oppression when I tapped the trigger, and, from that instant until the sun appeared, I had nothing but an instrumental consciousness, for I was nothing but part of the telescope, and all my being was in the work which I had to perform. I reset the slide, made circuit, exposed, and so on over again, until the six photographs were taken, when I had the mortification to find 50 seconds of totality, and that no plate could possibly be obtained; we were too quick."

Photographs were now taken leisurely at intervals of about four minutes until 14 h. 47 m. 48°4 s., when the first of the series for the end of the eclipse was secured; this was followed by four others at intervals of about a quarter of a minute. The work was finished in a few seconds, the eclipse of August 7th, 1869, was of the past, but its history had been faithfully recorded in forty-one perfect photographs.

IV. INSTRUCTION IN SCIENCE FOR WOMEN. It would seem hardly necessary, in this day of awakening common sense, to put the questions, Is it necessary to impart scientific instruction to the female sex? and what kind of information should be conveyed to women?

As to the first inquiry, there are, no doubt, still a great many old women of both sexes who consider that if a girl be taught to read, write, and know sufficient of arithmetic to enable her to detect errors in her butcher's or washerwoman's book, any further intellectual instruction is superfluous, and unfits her for household duties. But it being once admitted that such a proposition could only emanate from old womanhood, in the disrespectful sense of the term, and that scientific instruction would be of the greatest benefit to those whom we shall still delight to call the fair sexnot the less fair because more intellectual-we need have no difficulty in determining what should be taught to them, and in what manner the instruction should be imparted.

As a mere education of the intellect, there is no reason for making any difference between the method of conveying scientific information to male and female students. It may be said that some branches of physiology are not fit subjects for young girls— neither are they for young boys;-and with more propriety it may be urged that the refinement of woman's nature would be shocked or deteriorated by the receipt of certain information from men, even when the pupils have arrived at the age of maturity. But this is only another argument in favour of every effort being made, without loss of time, to train women to be the teachers of their own sex in the mysteries of human anatomy and physiology.

To deny the necessity of imparting this particular kind of instruction at all is simply absurd; for whilst women may make good wives and mothers, without possessing any knowledge of Botany, Electricity, Astronomy, or Chemistry, they cannot possibly be fitted to fill their accustomed sphere without a fair amount of information concerning the laws which govern their own corporeal frame in health and disease, and somewhat at least of the constitution of the other sex.

That assertion will no doubt be met by the stock argument, "How have our fathers and mothers and our ancestors managed without such knowledge ?" or, "What are doctors for?" They have managed to lose one, or two, or three children in succession from the effects of disease; or perhaps it would be more correct to say, from ignorance of the meaning of directions left by their medical adviser, when by a little intelligent care all would have survived. It is not the doctor who saves the patient's life; it is he who directs how it is to be saved; and however able the physician may be, the fate of the patient, in five cases out of six, depends mainly upon the intelligent construction and fulfilment of his wishes by the nurse. Of what use, at a critical period of disease, is any amount of information concerning the latest novel or opera? Will the most artistic display of chignon, or the widest acquaintance with the mysteries of fashion, avail to protract the hours of a beloved husband, or the moments of a child's life, whilst it sinks under an exhausting disease?

It would be a waste of time to discuss here the best system of imparting general scientific instruction to women, as distinguished from men; but it may be interesting to dwell for a few moments upon the method which is being adopted at South Kensingtonnot because it appears to be efficient in the case of women only, but because, being advantageous in their case, it would be beneficial wherever minds untutored in science are to be appealed to, and the effort made to convey scientific information. And having briefly considered that phase of the subject, we will cursorily refer to the special instruction in those branches of science which would

seem the best adapted to favour, materially and mentally, the progress of females as working women.

The series of lectures at South Kensington, which, it should be premised, is by no means the initiation of the movement, consists of three courses-one by Professor Huxley, on what he calls Physiography; a second by Professor Guthrie, of Jermyn Street, on Elementary Physics and Chemistry; and a third by Professor Oliver, of Kew, on Biology. The last named is, however, chiefly, if not entirely, confined to Botany and Vegetable Physiology. Of Professor Huxley's lectures we will speak first, and to illustrate his method of imparting tuition, we will endeavour to describe his introductory lecture.

"Physiography" is explained to mean "a description and rudimentary analysis of those obvious natural facts and events which are commonly treated of under the head of elementary physical geography;" and in his introductory lecture Professor Huxley described the changes which are taking place in a river basin, as illustrated by the ebb and flow of the tide in the Thames, the supply which it receives from its tributaries, from the condensation of watery vapour in the atmosphere, and from other sources.

The information which he desires to convey seems of the most commonplace character, consisting of an account of the form of the Thames Basin; the appearance of the river as seen from a balloon; the relative extent of the fresh and salt water currents; the bulk of fresh water which flows down to the sea, and never returns; and so forth. But it is more than probable that not six of the ladies present (for they were all ladies in the conventional sense of the term who constituted his audience) possessed even a superficial acquaintance with the phenomena in question, and perhaps not one would have been able to answer correctly the questions which might have been put from his programme. Nor is this anything to their discredit. How many of our readers are there who could tell us what number of cubic feet "more water runs down than runs up beneath London Bridge every day?" or where "Thames Head is?" or "How far it is from London Bridge, and how high it is above the Thames at that bridge?"

The lecturer managed, however, not only to instil this information into his hearers' minds, with the aid of a chart and black-board; but with his bottle of cold water, which served at the same time to refresh his body and illustrate his subject, he explained with great clearness the laws and phenomena of radiation, heat, congelation, &c., and some of the leading principles of meteorology. His address may be said to have been an ideal picture of the cycle of changes which are constantly going on between earth, sea, and air, in so far as the transfer of water is concerned. In his subsequent lectures he described (or intended to describe-for this article was

written shortly after his opening lecture) similar phases in the circulation of solid matter (earth), and the transformations of living matter (plants and animals).

Turning for a moment to the lectures of Prefessor Guthrie, on Physics and Chemistry, it may be asked of what use instruction in chemistry can be without laboratory practice; and although it is probable that the ladies will see none of that at South Kensington, and indeed that only the most rudimentary instruction in chemistry can be imparted in a course such as Professor Guthrie will give; yet when we look at what is being done elsewhere, we shall find not only a supply, but an active demand for laboratory instruction.

Mr. Mylne, the Honorary Secretary of the Ladies' Educational Association, which carries on its operations in connection with University College, has sent us a programme of the scientific lectures in course of delivery at the College in Gower Street, and he informs us that Professor Williamson not only gives instruction in theoretical chemistry, which we find from the prospectus to embrace the organic as well as the inorganic section, but that he has instituted laboratory practice, several ladies having expressed a wish for this mode of instruction. In connection with this series of lectures it may be further added that Professor G. C. Foster is delivering a course on Dynamics and Heat; and Professor Hirst one on Geometry. There are lectures on the living and dead languages and literature, but with those we have no concern here.

Professor Oliver, at South Kensington, proposes to illustrate the laws of biology, as we have already stated, chiefly by a reference to the realm of plants; indeed, so far as we can ascertain his views at the time of writing this notice, he intends to follow the admirable plan of making his lectures as much as possible a series of demonstrations with living plants.

Many gentlemen, either amateurs or professional men, are devoting their time to further this kind of instruction to ladies. At South Kensington, the Hon. and Rev. Francis Byng, and Mr. Owen, of the Museum, are taking an active part in the movement.

Professor Sedgwick, of Trinity College, Cambridge, and his brother, of Merton, have delivered courses of lectures, we believe, at Preston, Manchester, &c.

Most of the Professors of Natural Science at Oxford have given lectures to ladies at one time or another, Mr. Harcourt having delivered a course to "women and children;" and Dr. Child a series on Physiology last year at Clifton.

Mr. James Stuart, Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, is now delivering a course of lectures to ladies, in Liverpool, on Natural Philosophy, embracing the subjects of Light, Heat, Magnetism, and the most recent discoveries made by spectrum analysis. Papers are

written by the class, and certificates of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class are given at the end of the course. The class numbers 165 students. In Leeds and Bradford, Mr. T. Aldis, of Cambridge, is delivering courses of lectures to women on the History of Physical Science. These gentlemen are lecturing under the auspices of the North of England Council, of which we believe Mrs. Josephine E. Butler, of Liverpool, is the President. Scientific lectures are also being delivered in Dublin and Edinburgh; in the former city at the Alexandra College for the Education of Ladies, by Dr. Macalister; and in Edinburgh by Professor Fraser on Natural Philosophy; and by Professor Tait on Mathematics. In addition to these it may also be mentioned that at Sir Patrick Dun's Hospital in Dublin instruction is given to soldiers' wives to prepare them for the vocation of army nurses. They are taught the laws of health, and the conditions of climate in relation thereto, of the principal stations of the British army; as well as the theory and practice of midwifery; and on passing a satisfactory examination they receive certificates of merit and pecuniary prizes. It is, of course, hardly necessary to state that at every Science School or Class in the United Kingdom connected with the Science and Art Department, women are not only admitted on an equality with men, but are treated with courtesy and consideration; but whatever may be said concerning the educational association of the sexes, we have found from personal observation, that, for the present at least and chiefly so far as women are concerned, they prefer being taught apart.

Having given this imperfect outline of what is being done in the way of general instruction in science to women, let us now inquire for a moment how and what it would be desirable to teach them with a view to their advancement in particular trades or professions. In this matter we may obtain some useful hints from what is doing abroad and at home for the education of artisans. For example, in some of the German towns special books and classes exist for instructing workmen in the theory of their trade, and in Liverpool lectures are about to be commenced with the same object. One course, which may serve as a type of this class of instruction, is about to be given by Mr. Norman Tate, on Chemistry applied to the practical arts. The first lecture is general, being on the relations of chemistry to industrial pursuits; then there are to follow two which will interest engineers, as they relate to Air, Water, Heat, Fuel in its application to the production of Heat, and the practical working of fuel for steam in furnaces, &c. Two follow on the Metallurgy and the Chemistry of Metals. After these there are lectures on building materials, stones, slates, bricks, mortar, cements, &c., for builders; earthenware and glass, for glaziers; pens, ink, and paper, for printers, &c.; paints, varnishes, and colours, for painters and decorators; horns, bones, leather, feathers, &c., and