Literary Notes

The Suentific American, published by Mann & Co., New York, presenta weekly to its readers the best and most reliable record of various improvements in machi tjery, the arts, and the technical industries, while the scientific progress of the country can in no way be followed so well as by the regular perusal of its pages. Most people hare heard of the disturbinp inflaence exerted on the compass needie by the various masses of iron on sbipboard, but few have any idea how the trouble is remeóied. The whole subject will be explained in a copiously illustrated article, entitled "The Guilding-Needle on an Iron Ship," by Lieutenant-Commander T. A. Lyous, in the JaDU&ry "Popular Science Monlhly." Ia the same number Mr. E. R. Suaw will teil how he made gementry a pleasure to his pupils, using iho "InventionalGeometry" prepared by Herbert Spencer'a father.