How many eggs will Mrs. Nowlan get for a shilling at 5 for twopence? How many at 2 for three halfpence?

When the shells are broken, and it is found there are 9 bad ones, how many good ones did she have?

If cach egg weighed 3 ounces, how many pounds avoirdupois would she have, reckoning good and bad together? How much would the good by themselves weigh? How much would the bad weigh?

How much is the fourth of 8, the ninth of 9, and the ninth of 18?

How much is the tenth of 20, and the fifth of 50?

How much is the eighth of 80, the fourth of 12, and the half of 9 ?

How much is the third of 6, the fourth of 8, and the sixteenth of 32 ?

How much is the tenth of 100, the fifth of 50, and the eighth of 80?

How much is the fifth of 100, the fourth of 40, and the twentieth of 40?

In this way simple questions may be put to the junior classes in great variety, with good effect, so far as to induce the pupils to think, which is not always attended too in every school. Questions of similar import might be carried out to a great extent, so as to fill many pages with questions suitable to the junior classes, without legislating for the older children, but the teacher must conceive for himself, and having given birth to simple questions of this kind, and being perfectly sure they are simple questions, and fit for children, let him put them to the pupils, and his success will exceed his most sanguine expectations The teacher will at once scc that the principles contended for here may be carried out to any extent, and of course ought to be left to his own ingenuity.

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CHAPTER VIII.

GALLERY LESSONS.

Great importance of the gallery-What should be taught thereinObjects-Natural history-Geometry-Geography-Astronomy

Grammar-Spelling-Derivations-Observations.

THE gallery is an indispensable part of the apparatus of the school; in it the moral and intellectual training of the pupils are strongly concentrated, the children are brought together, and lessons are taught them on different interesting subjects. Their attention is gained, and an impression of what has been read, narrated, explained, or shewn, is made upon their young minds more effectually than in classes; and, finally, it is here, the development of their youthful mind begins to make its appearance.

The subjects for gallery lessons, are first, lessons on objects as arranged in this book; second, natural history; third, geometry; fourth, arithmetic; fifth, geography and elements of astronomy; sixth, grammar; seventh, spelling by dictation and derivation.

FIRST.-OBJECTS.

The object to be presented to the pupils' senses for observation, and its qualities asked; which, when answered, to be correctly written on the black board, by the master, in front of the pupils, so that the name be more firmly impressed on their minds; and thus by a succession of these objects, they become acquainted with a variety of qualities.

When the quality cannot be observed, chemical analysis may be resorted to, in order to shew it, and thus they are taught the composition of bodies and the phenomena

arising from their mutual action. Much benefit arises from varying the mode of instruction; for this purpose, the name of the quality ought always to be written according to the rules of orthoepy, rather than orthography, because by this means they are taught not only to observe, but to correct errors in spelling, and thus are very soon. enabled to gain a knowledge of the orthography of their own language.

After the names of all the qualities are written on the black board, the master may call upon one, or the whole of the boys upon the gallery to read them, after which they are rubbed off, and one boy is called upon to repcat the names of the qualities of the objects presented to him. Every object that can be sccn with the eye, is a fit object for a gallery lesson; as flowers, different kinds of wood, different kinds of leaves, different kinds of bark, and every object that can be obtained, as all possess some mark by which they may be known, and which will afford ample opportunities for giving the pupils suitable instruction, and assist greatly in following up a genuine system of development; with the additional advantage that the lessons are given by the master.

There are two good mediums given us by the Creator for our instruction, his revealed will the Bible, and the book of nature Catechisms and creeds will not give us a knowledge of the former, but natural objects may and will give some knowledge of the latter. Nature's book has been too much neglected in schools for the education of both rich and poor, but a favourable opportunity is now possessed by mcans of the gallery to remedy, in some mcasure, this defect.

SECOND. NATURAL HISTORY.

This department not to be confined to animals alone, but to comprehend a general view of what is connected with the air, carth, and water, such as earthquakes, volcanoes,

glaciers, snow, thunder, lightning, winds, waterspouts, &c. &c.

The animals to be shewn by representations from plates of natural history; and the other phenomena, as far as possible, by diagrams and explanations; to have some interesting facts connected with them, in order to attract attention; for a knowledge of this science forms the ground work of their physical investigations in after life.

THIRD.-GEOMETRY.

The method of instruction to be given, first by diagrams on the black board, during which operation the names of the different lines and angles to be written, and the reasons explained why they are so called; secondly, by frequent lessons on the gonograph; third, by a set of geometrical figures published by Mr. Wilderspin; fourth, by a cabinet of solids, which he will also supply; care to be taken not to allow the pupil to pass over the figure until perfectly understood.

FOURTH.-ARITHMETIC.

In commencing this department of science, the first principle is to be given with the arithmeticon, by which the pupils are taught lessons on the four fundamental rules; after this the black board comes next into use, by which the pupils can have a sensible idea of the comparative signs of weights and measures, by means of sketches drawn to represent them; they are also taught in the same manner the process by which they can elucidate superficial and solid measure, and also several other calculations in arithmetic.

FIFTH.-GEOGRAPHY.

This branch of knowledge has formerly been conducted in a manner quite contrary to the rules of nature; instead of

being a pleasure, it has been imposed as a task to the memory. Lists of towns, cities, countries, rivers, bays, and gulphs, have been rehearsed over without any corresponding ideas. Physical geography has been almost entirely omitted, and all that was learned made very little impression upon the memory, because there were not lcading facts to establish it, being only committed to memory by rote, and thus much time was spent and little rcal knowledge acquired

In commencing this department of knowledge, the children are to be first taught the form, size, and general arrangements of the earth, before a map be placed before them; and this should be done in regular succession, from the map of the school-room to the town or country they live in, thus bringing them by regular gradation to form an idea of the use of what is to be laid before them. In stating that the earth is round like a ball, you must prove the reason why it is so, by illustration; which can be easily shewn by a diagram drawn on the black board. Let them also prove it to satisfy themselves, by telling them to go to the side of a river, and, kccping their eye close to the water's edge, look to the opposite shore, which will be intercepted by the elevation of the water in the centre of the river. Such a simple illustration as this will impress the fact on their mind and corroborate the statement made by the master. When the map is placed before them, first point out the oceans and continents, at the same time writing their names on the black board. State also the divisions of each, pointing them out as you go on, after which commence the regular course of the five maps, containing the divisions of our globe; taking Europe first, and all the others in succession, only pointing out to them the countries contained in each; naming also the chief towns Having finished this general outline, take an examination of the whole, so as to be satisfied that they have not forgotten what they formerly learned; if found perfect,