, 1876-01-22
THE "aMERlcaY BOOKSELLER.
SpARES OF SCfEyCE,

PEhNT'lEC FUHES.
For many yearH' a cour5o OF ehenp s"ieati!ic
1eoturos has been annually sustained Wit, dis
tsnEuiahed succces iu Manchester. Birmingham.
and other clties In England. The lectures 81
Manchester were instituted nino ycars ago b
Prof. Roscoe, who wished to waTcn the minds
OF working mon 10 tho value OF scientific tFuthsby
1ncanH OF simple ret e1nck di.cpurHcs, Illustrated
by appropriate experiments and diagrams. 1'he
attempt Was splenaid!y rewarded from tho first,
---au aycrage Of 1000 persons having attended
eacl lecture. To widen tho circle banottel by
tho lectures, they are reported verbatu,, ane
published Ut penny nn1ece. From 5o0h to TO-.
Goo copies arc soon disposed Of. whtso tho do
mand for back numbera Ia steadily maintained.
The Lectures delivered In connection With tbs
Midland Institute. at birmingham, yosrly attract
immense audiences. composoi mostly Of ar
tisauB. They were begun uinctoou years ago. ~
NO learn fron . history Of tho enterprise gives
in .Nature, by Mr.. ". Alatthisu Williams Ths
Institute commenced It's work In October 1854
with thrce ciassos tor workingnlou,-on fol
Physics, meeting OIL tho osenngs per week
one for Chemistry, also tso ssonlugB; aud ous
on Popular Physiology aud the Lava Of l1eath,
tue Attendance e1ccedoa espectatton; but, dur
ing tho progress of the second and third courses,
thcro waH gradual dim!nuton Of numbers. It
being tho object Of thcse clas4ss to fur
solved neither 10 shorten nor popularize
them In order to invite stteudaocs. Ho
chose the wiscr e1pedont OF founding q
seriea Of public lectures Of light and aensa-
tional character. that should call together ,Ee
multitude among whom le hoped enough might
he induced TO undertake thorough study to Keep
hls regular c!nsseB full
The t,st conrsa Of twelve " "renny-Lcctures
opened In january, 1850. and through the eutire
ses,es tho loctute-theatro was crowded. Al
hoped. tho lectures fed the 9cseuce-eiassod,
(which without such al.nlons. would lavo been
starved sua oxtluRushed IN :hetr Infancy. Tbs
Peuny-Iecsures led 70 Denny ny-Readnas md
theso, again, were followed BY penny-Arith-
rnetto and otner classes, which havo acoom-
working people. Mr. Williams confesses. at the
closo OF Lila account with Amusing naivete. TINS
he przctced several email i!Iegfstmato devices
| to keep his audiences togetner,--" ono ea-
| cupiod The Thousand tnd Ono Night s,'-sha.
| OF leading tho subject up to sone amusing e1-
pertinent juss Ut tug end OF tho 1ecturs, and then
| discovering shat It wsA tlul' to conclude. aud
| therefore that the experiment unHt be eho .u
| next Tuosday. Tho stnall boys who oecup!cd
sbe front seats and spplauled all tho explosions
| soon found me out, bls they came noxt week
nesestheleas; and some OF t!leae "ho Vt itFt
| clAaHes and becan,o satisfactory stndstlte." The
| yt!uRblo ends ACCOMPLISHED By thcas lectuEcz
justii. Mr. Williams conclusion tlat 'ttl1s pass-
ny.1.ccturcr should not be too FigldIy ressfltnl
Of Bis own 4ciontltlo dignity, bnt uarnu,ai &c tu
| Bon,e extent, When ho can thersby adsa nes
towards tho high object he sceks to nttsiu.
THE TRoooNs.
Mr.. Iotu Gould, tue author Of ssyefal Hr!en.
did works in tho department OK OrnitholoEy, In.
| brought out . second edition Of his - Mouu.
graph Of the Trogons." Tho first edition wud
published In 1883, end, slnco iIs lesuc, twelya
nsw speciea Of tue Iro3oaiits have beeu 1iscoy-
cred. Thcso arc now added 10 tho number pru'