Arts Notes.

Already the students have begun to count time backwards from the fateful ending of the session, and the November exams, almost seem to reveal themselves as a bright spot seen through the enveloping vapour of beclouded brains of those over-eager to disport themselves in the flowing robes and the sunshine which surrounds the full-blown graduate, and should we be so happy as to find that no Mataura tragedy occurs to darken our New Year, we feel sure that this year's work will prove a credit to the Faculty.

With reference to the coming exams., the much-discussed topic of an Examination Hall is now disturbing the Fives Court orator, while we find that no less than a special column of this number has been devoted to the venerable opinion of one who sat in Greek and Anglo-Saxon last year. However exaggerated some of the current reports may be, there is no doubt that the Machine Hall of the Agricultural Buildings is eminently unsuitable for examination purposes. No doubt the Boating Carnival was the cause of our having to put up with the swaying of a make-shift floor when anyone stirred, the throbbing of the engine in the corner, the hail which beat on the unlined roof, and the page 92 bad light which came through it, to say nothing of the draughts which came from everywhere; but no allowance is made in consideration of such details for a possible lowering in the standard of the work handed in, and we hope that this year we shall be more fortunate in our surroundings. The inconvenience that some students suffer at the Terms Exam, through having to proceed with a paper for 15 or 20 minutes, while another class in the room at the same time are having their questions read out, could no doubt be easily avoided by rearrangement of the time-table.

During the past month Dr Shand has been exercising the genial side of his generous nature in entertaining the students at his house, and some students have taken a revived interest in Physics-not to improve their position in the class, for that would only tend to rob them of the delights they hope to share again—another year in the same class. Let us hope such a base desire shall not be gratified.

At the last meeting of the Debating Society, Dr Benham, during the course of a short address, referred to the absence of illustrative apparatus and material in all the classes at the University which are not purely scientific. There would no doubt be some difficulty in carrying out the plan as suggested by the Doctor in all its fulness, suck as the collection of ancient costumes, &c., but there is no reason why we should be without many of the little things we do not now possess. A science like mathematics could be simplified in many cases, and in such a branch as solid geometry models are almost a necessity. When the present students become professors there will be a change.

A certain student of books on this side of the College has been greatly puzzled to understand why Noah took fish into the Ark with him. Perhaps some student of fish in the Biological School could supply the desired information. It is a somewhat rare occurrence to find the Professor of Classics grow impatient when questions are answered in detail, but the student was presuming too far, who, when asked what some Gallic tribe—extinct long ago—lived upon, began "Pectore vivunt——" The Prof, quickly saw that if he began at the milk stage, long before he got to solid beef (pecore), 'Arris' bell would be going downstairs, and cut matters short.

Our Review manager has distinguished himself this month in a fierce encounter with a butcher's cart. While scorching on his cycle to an exam., he was improving the shining hour by having a last look at cert question, and in turning a corner collided with a hostile meat-van. When the brief contest finished, honours were easy.