CURRENT LITERATURE.
The Essentials of illethoci. By Charles Do Garmo. (Heath and Co., Boston, U.S.A.)—The author of this interesting little book, who is Professor of Modern Languages in Illinois State Normal University, states, in the course of a painfully elaborate preface, that it " seeks to find the essential forms of methods of instruction as determined by the general law of development in the mind of the child," and that it "has therefore nothing to do with the content of know- ledge, but concerns itself solely with an inquiry as to how we learn, and consequentiv how we must teach." His book has, as might be expected, a metaphysical basis ; thus, it starts with the proposition, " The senses furnish us that which we call the individual notion ;" and then it proceeds to, "But for the science of method, we must extend our idea of the individual notion beyond mere per- ceptions of objects gained through the senses." From a meta- physical foundation, Mr. Do Garmo very skilfully builds up, mainly according to German lines, a fabric of practical teaching. In some parts his little treatise seems rather abstruse ; but even those who are familiar with what Mr. Herbert Spencer has done iu the same way will find that it deserves careful attention, in spite of the almost appalling use that is made in it of such words as appereeptions " and " method-wholes." The " practical illustrations " which are given at the end are remarkably good and complete.
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