changes in the course of study at our national Universities
highly expedient. The Universities themselves have acknowledged this
expediency, and very large reforms of this nature have been adopted both
at Oxford and at Cambridge. These improvements, so wisely conceived,
reflect the highest credit on those learned bodies." He then proceeds to
state the general line of the limitations of the proposed action of the
government, saying that it is not to obstruct, but only to facilitate
the changes and improvements already in progress. Both the Universities
have warmly protested against the Commission.

Preparations for the INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION of 1851 continue to be made.
It is stated that about L50,000 has been subscribed toward the grand
Industrial Exhibition, and nearly 200 local committees formed to
promote. A project has been started to connect with it a religious
congress of the Christians of all nations. To questioning in Parliament,
it has been answered by the Minister that no government supply was
contemplated beyond the expenses of the Royal Commission. The various
German Powers have united, and the Commission in London has apportioned
100,000 square feet of space to the service of the German exhibitors
generally, 60,000 square feet being reserved for the States of the
Zoll-Verein 30,000 for Austria, and 10,000 for the North German States
and the Hanse Towns.

* * * * *

The transactions of the London SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES for the month
present nothing worthy of record. The Zoological Society has received a
new and valuable collection of animals, and among them the first live
hippopotamus ever brought to Europe.--Letters from Mr. LAYARD, who is
prosecuting his researches in the East, have been received to the 18th
of March, in which he mentions the Arab reports of remarkable
antiquities in the desert of Khabour, which have never been visited by
European footsteps, and toward the exploration of which he was just
setting out, with an escort of Arab Sheiks and their followers, in all,
to the number of seventy or eighty in company. During his absence on
this new track, the excavations at Nimrood are to be continued by the
parties employed on that work, which has recently furnished interesting
acquisitions to Mr. Layard's collection. One important inscription is
mentioned, and more winged-lions and bulls.

The Times has an account of a new invention for extinguishing fires, the
work o