Distribution of Time and Subjects.

It will be convenient to divide the 7 years' Course of scientific studies into 3 Periods or Grades, respectively comprising 2, 3, and again 2 years. The scholastic year may be assumed to consist of 3 terms of 13 weeks each, making at 4 hours per week, a total of 156 hours of science-teaching in the year.

As a prominent feature of my proposals, I would suggest that in the first two Periods, two Scries or Courses of Class Lessons should progress contemporaneously:—A Bionomic Course, having for its main purpose to supply rules of daily guidance through life, derived from Mechanical and Chemical Physics, Chemistry and Human Physiology; and a Cosmographic Course comprising, chiefly for purposes of intellectual culture, the general aspects and the special physiognomies of the Creation, as embraced by Astronomy, Geology, Physiography and Natural History.—A Course of Bionomy given alone, would include notions of the three Kingdoms of Nature, and especially an acquaintance with Botany and Zoology sufficient for methodizing our knowledge of the resources supplied by the Vegetable and Animal Kingdoms; but in the proposed distribution of school studies, it is decidedly best to allot Natural History to the less overloaded Cosmographic Course, page 21 where with a view to intellectual culture, it can be developed beyond what would be required for Bionomic purposes. The two Courses will be continually exhibiting points of connection, and affording mutual support, and in fact neither could satisfactorily accomplish its purpose without the other.—The one starts from the Atom, the other from the grandest outlines of the Universe; they converge, and will be found to meet at that natural focus of our Studies,—The Human Frame.

In most courses of scientific instruction, it is desirable to go over the ground systematically more than once. In this reduplication, the first period, or Grade, may be likened to a pleasant reconnoitring expedition through an unknown region, with a light foot, but an observing eye, an attentive mind and a retentive memory. In the second Grade, the cursory survey becomes an earnest study, the mental grasp is more comprehensive, and its researches more deeply scrutinising. A third or superior Grade depends on prospective pursuits for the aim and character of its aspirations.—All this peculiarly applies to a seven years' course of College studies, as we shall have occasion to see, by and by, in analysing seriatim the successive scientific Grades corresponding to the above mentioned three Periods. For the present a few cursory remarks will suffice.