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484 scholars have recognized the fact that, for the department to hold its own, it would be necessary to substitute for the old plan of reading a given amount of Greek, the ability to read Greek readily at sight. To meet this new demand, Professor J. W. White is engaged in preparing a word-book, based on Curtius's Etymology, and not on the more or less untrustworthy etymologies of the lexicon. This book is to contain five or six hundred stems, from which five or six thousand words are to be derived in families, with their Latin and English cognates. This word-book is intended as a direct means of acquiring a vocabulary and facility in reading at sight, and, so far as I know, is entirely a new departure. Professor White is also revising the "First Greek Lessons," which is to be an accompaniment to the new edition of Goodwin's Grammar. He is assisted by the members of a graduate elective—a somewhat novel feature at Cambridge—who are pursuing advanced studies in Greek.

The traditional Latin grammar has become a thing of the past, and, in consequence, college students are daily found ignorant on many points, especially questions of comparative philology, that should have been answered in the schools. In order to furnish a more thorough and satisfactory groundwork for men who are fitting for college, Professor Lane is preparing a Latin grammar which will be based on new and scientific principles. It will be a thoroughly practical book, and, while not dealing directly with questions of comparative philology, will elucidate the important principles of the science.

Professor Greenough, whose name is familiarly known in connection with Allen and Greenough's Latin text-books, is preparing an edition of Vergil.

Since the publication of his "Modern Philosophy" Professor Bowen has been engaged in revising his "Political Economy," a new edition of which will appear in the fall. A volume of his essays is now in press. Within the last year he has written some important papers for the "North American" and "Princeton" Reviews, one of the most remarkable of which is "The Idea of Cause," which appeared in the "Princeton Review" for May, 1879, and has been republished separately.

Professor James is engaged upon a work on psychology, which is to form one of the series of American science text-books. Among his recent writings are articles in "Mind," "The Journal of Speculative Philosophy," "The Popular Science Monthly," and an essay in the "Princeton Review" on the "Sentiment of Rationality."

Perhaps the work that will prove most generally interesting is that upon which Professor Childs is now engaged—a book of English and Scottish ballads, with their derivations and variations. His life-long devotion to this subject, together with his mastery of English literature, will render this book perhaps the most valuable literary production of the year. It is owing to his efforts and researches that the