CHAPTER LXI

FOR PARENTS [Sidenote: The Science of Rearing Children] The new Encyclopaedia Britannica is full of encouragement for parents who are tempted to feel that the proper care and training of a child require almost superhuman skill and energy. Many of the fears and doubts by which they are beset rest upon vague traditions, handed down from a day when a child’s health was threatened by more dangers and greater dangers than now, and when much less was known than is known to-day about the training of a child. Statistics are dull things, as a rule, but it would be difficult to find pleasanter reading than the statistical tables which show how much the modern progress of science has done for children. And these figures, in many Britannica articles on various diseases and localities, by showing how much safer children’s lives are than they used to be, also indicate a _decrease of children’s suffering_ and an _increase of children’s happiness_ which cannot be expressed in numbers. Sheer ignorance caused much of the pain that children used to suffer and also much of the neglect that led to bodily and mental deficiency in later life. There is still room for improvement; but it is no exaggeration to say that the child of the average American mechanic is more intelligently cared for than was, a hundred years ago, the heir to a European kingdom. Every branch of science has contributed to these improved conditions. Medical and surgical research have no doubt been the great factors, as disease and deformity were the worst evils; but the child’s mind has been as carefully studied as its body. Here, again, figures cannot tell the whole story. They can show the universal benefits of our public school system, but they cannot show how greatly the children of well-read and thoughtful parents benefit by home influences intelligently exerted. That element of education begins as soon as a child is born, and it is based upon such observation of its individual needs as only a parent’s affection and sympathy can achieve. And in this part of the parent’s task, as in the case of the child’s health, it is essential to be guided by specialists of the highest authority, such as those who wrote for the Britannica the articles of which a brief account is given in this chapter. The child’s individuality, physical and mental, is largely inherited. [Sidenote: What is Known about Heredity] The vast subject of heredity has indeed not yet been reduced to an exact science, but the newest theories advanced by Weismann, Hertwig, and others, with such confirmation as has already been obtained, are clearly set forth in Dr. P. Chalmers Mitchell’s article HEREDITY (Vol. 13, p. 350). As for our knowledge of the physiological process of heredity, the foundation may be said to have been laid by the labours of the Austrian monk Mendel, and biologists are rapidly extending his work in various directions. What has been done in the past thirteen years since scientists rediscovered Mendel’s work is described in MENDELISM (Vol. 18, p. 115), by R. C. Punnett, professor of biology, Cambridge University. There is no subject of greater interest or fascination before the world to-day, and there is no better or simpler introduction to it than Professor Punnett’s able article. As he says, “Increased knowledge of our heredity means increased power of control over the living thing.” We know very little as yet, but that little “offers the hope of a great extension at no very distant time. If this hope is borne out, if it is shown that the qualities of man, his body and his intellect, his immunities and his diseases, even his very virtues and vices, are dependent upon the ascertainable presence or absence of definite unit-characters whose mode of transmission follows fixed laws, and if also man decides that his life shall be ordered in the light of this knowledge, it is obvious that the social system will have to undergo considerable changes.” The relations between parent and offspring are also dealt with in REPRODUCTION (Vol. 23, p. 116), by Dr. Mitchell; and those who wish to study the development of the organism will find such information in EMBRYOLOGY (Vol. 9, p. 314), by Adam Sedgwick, who is professor of zoology at the Imperial College of Science and Technology, London. This masterly account is supplemented by a section (p. 329) on the _Physiology of Development_ by Dr. Hans A. E. Driesch, of Heidelberg University. [Sidenote: The New-Born Child] The article INFANCY (Vol. 14, p. 513), by Dr. Harriet Hennessy, is devoted to the care of the child during its first year. The first bath, care of the eyes, clothing, increase of weight, etc., are thoroughly discussed, and the directions for artificial feeding contain tables of milk-dilution and of the amounts to be given. In CHILD (Vol. 6, p. 136) will be found a valuable table of average heights and weights of children from the ages of one to fifteen, and a full bibliography of works relating to child-study. The main points to be considered for each sex in the difficult period between childhood and maturity are concisely set forth in ADOLESCENCE (Vol. 1, p. 210). An ideal system of child raising is outlined, dealing with hygiene, clothing, and moral and physical training. See also GYMNASTICS AND GYMNASIUM (Vol. 12, p. 752), by R. J. McNeill. [Sidenote: The Vital Question of Food] Parents must have a thorough and clear understanding of the question of bodily nourishment. This is most imperative. It means sound bodies for the children, their good health in after years, their efficiency and success in life. On this point the new Britannica provides information of a character that for authoritativeness and completeness can nowhere else be matched. The important matter of feeding a family is treated at great length in DIETETICS (Vol. 8, p. 214), by the late Prof. W. O. Atwater of Wesleyan University, known the world over as an authority on this subject, and R. D. Milner, formerly assistant in the U. S. Department of Agriculture. The article gives information as to the composition and nutritive values of foods and their adaptation to the use of people in health. There are tables of food composition, of the digestibility of nutrients, of the quantities of available nutrients, etc. The hygienic and pecuniary economy of food are discussed in such a way as to be of real service. For those who desire further information on the subject of food assimilation reference may be made to NUTRITION (Vol. 19, p. 920), by Dr. D. Noel Paton, professor of physiology, University of Glasgow, and Dr. E. P. Cathcart, lecturer in chemical physiology in the same institution. [Sidenote: Maintenance of Health] In regard to the maintenance of general health of children without reference to specific ailments there is a vast fund of information to be extracted by consulting the new Britannica. The titles of a few of the articles will sufficiently indicate information to which every parent should have constant access: ANTISEPTICS (Vol. 2, p. 146); DISINFECTANTS (Vol. 8, p. 312); CARBOLIC ACID, _Pharmacology and Therapeutics_, (Vol. 5, p. 305); SALICYLIC ACID, _Medicine and Therapeutics_ (Vol. 24, p. 70); EMETICS (Vol. 9, p. 336); ACONITE, _Therapeutics_ (Vol. 1, p. 152); COLCHICUM, _Pharmacology_ (Vol. 6, p. 662); PHENACETIN (Vol. 21, p. 363); PEPSIN (Vol. 21, p. 130); RHUBARB (Vol. 23, p. 273); SENNA (Vol. 24, p. 646); POISON, with list of poisons and antidotes (Vol. 21, p. 893); HAEMORRHAGE, how to tell the different kinds (Vol. 12, p. 805); WOUND, nature of bruises and treatment (Vol. 28, p. 837); BURNS AND SCALDS (Vol. 4, p. 860); SUNSTROKE, nature of heat prostration (Vol. 26, p. 110); nature and treatment of frost-bite, MORTIFICATION (Vol. 18, p. 878); ULCER (Vol. 27, p. 565); CHILBLAINS (Vol. 6, p. 134); ECZEMA (Vol. 8 p. 920); relief from choking, OESOPHAGUS (Vol. 20, p. 14); BONE, _Fractures_, special fractures in the young (Vol. 4, p. 201); DROWNING AND LIFE SAVING (Vol. 8, p. 592); SLEEP, amount of sleep necessary at different ages (Vol. 25, p. 238); DISEASES OF VISION (Vol. 28, p. 142); with its special section (p. 144) on the care of the eyesight of children; BLINDNESS, _Causes and Prevention_ (Vol. 4, p. 60), by Sir F. J. Campbell, principal, Royal Normal College for the Blind, London; SHOCK, injuries and accidents (Vol. 24, p. 991). There is a section on _Action of Baths on the Human System_, in BATHS AND BATHING (Vol. 3, p. 518), telling of the effects of cold, tepid, warm, hot, and very hot baths. Parents will be most grateful to the Britannica for the complete descriptions of infantile diseases, dealing with symptoms and principles of cure and treatment. [Sidenote: Treatment of Infantile Diseases] _The British Medical Journal_ commenting on the nature of the medical section of the new Britannica has said that it is “an admirable example of the kind of exposition which will enable the head of a family, without embarrassing him with technical details, to deal with a situation with which he may be confronted at any moment.” Realizing the great necessity for a popular yet authentic discussion of diseases, the editors have produced a work which has received the highest approval of the medical world for its quality of practical usefulness. In the first place, parents should devote much study to Sir T. Lauder Brunton’s most clear and able discussion of THERAPEUTICS (Vol. 26, p. 793), dealing in a general manner with the means employed to treat disease. Here we learn about the action of microbes, the nature of inflammation and fever (which are protective processes calculated to defend the organism against the attacks of microbes but which often become injurious), about defensive measures and principles of cure, proper nutrition and elimination, flatulence, constipation, etc. It is also important to know something about the action of drugs, and this is fully explained in PHARMACOLOGY (Vol. 21, p. 350), by Dr. Ralph Stockman, of Glasgow University, while Dr. H. L. Hennessy in the same article (p. 352) explains the terms used in the classification of drugs. Before describing the material devoted to the special diseases of children, it is well to remind parents of a valuable illustrated article on PARASITIC DISEASES (Vol. 20, p. 770), by Dr. G. Sims Woodhead, professor of pathology in Cambridge University. It is about the length of 52 pages in this Guide. The information as to the origin of various diseases, of those which are due to vegetable and those due to animal parasites, of the infective diseases in which no organism yet discovered has surely been connected with the malady (as is the case with scarlet fever), and of infective diseases, such as measles, mumps, and whooping-cough, not yet traced to microorganisms, will prove of the highest interest because the facts related have a most important influence upon present methods of treatment. [Sidenote: Diseases most Common to Childhood] CROUP (Vol. 7, p. 511) is a concise account of spasmodic croup—so terrifying to all parents. The treatment is carefully described. The same is true of TONSILLITIS (Vol. 27, p. 11). For other common throat diseases see BRONCHITIS (Vol. 4, p. 634); RESPIRATORY SYSTEM, _Pathology of_ (Vol. 23, p. 195) by Dr. Thomas Harris, a noted authority, and Dr. Harriet Hennessy, and LARYNGITIS (Vol. 16, p. 228), which fully describes the paroxysmal laryngitis so peculiarly fatal to infants. In all these articles reference is made to adenoids as a contributing cause of the maladies described. There is a separate account of these recently discovered troublesome growths, ADENOIDS (Vol. 1, p. 191), and of the comparatively simple operation for their removal, by Dr. Edmund Owen, consulting surgeon to the Children’s Hospital, London. The great attention which, in recent years, has been paid to DIPHTHERIA (Vol. 8, p. 290) has produced most striking results. We know its cause and nature, we understand the conditions which influence its prevalence; and a “specific” cure in an antitoxin has been found. Specialists now trace to diphtheria many of the serious cases which would formerly have been thought due to other diseases, and especially to croup. WHOOPING COUGH (Vol. 28, p. 616) is one of the most common diseases of infancy, but, except in the most extreme cases, does not require the regular attendance of a physician. The malady has three recognized stages, in the second of which complications are apt to arise which may become a source of danger greater than the malady itself. Parents should also understand the curious structural changes in the lungs which sometimes remain after the disease has run its course. Of all the diseases of earlier childhood, MEASLES (Vol. 17, p. 947) is the most prevalent, and its spread is largely due to the fact that its initial symptoms are slight and not easily recognizable. The proper understanding of these is, therefore, most necessary, as well as a thorough appreciation of possible complications and their consequences. The best mode of treatment is also indicated in this article. There are several well-marked varieties of SCARLET FEVER (Vol. 24, p. 303) of which the chief are simple scarlatina, septic scarlatina, and malignant scarlatina; and the complications and effects of the disease are among the most important features which should be understood. The list of infantile diseases is too long for specific description, but parents can appreciate the value and significance of this valuable department of the work by referring to such articles as MUMPS (Vol. 18, p. 968); DYSENTERY (Vol. 8, p. 785); CHOLERA (Vol. 6, p. 262), with a special section on children’s simple cholera; see also DIGESTIVE ORGANS, _General and Local Diseases_ (Vol. 8, p. 262) by Dr. A. L. Gillespie, lecturer on modern gastric methods, Edinburgh Post-Graduate School, and MENINGITIS, _Cerebro-Spinal_ (Vol. 18, p. 130), with an account of the new and successful serum treatment. [Sidenote: Mental Training] In planning the groundwork of education, parents should have a clear idea of the principles of modern instruction. Here the Britannica again comes to their assistance. The biographies of PESTALOZZI (Vol. 21, p. 284) and of FROEBEL (Vol. 11, p. 238) describe the insistence of these leaders on the need of educating a child through his own activity, and the results they obtained by this method. Further elaboration of the subject is given in EDUCATION, _Theory_ (Vol. 8, p. 951), by James Welton, professor of education in the University of Leeds, to which article there are added detailed accounts of national systems of education. An interesting supplementary article is SCHOOLS (Vol. 24, p. 359), by A. F. Leach, describing the stages of experiment by which our modern idea of a school has been developed. There is an admirably instructive article, TECHNICAL EDUCATION (Vol. 26, p. 487), by Sir Philip Magnus, formerly member of the Royal Commission of Technical Instruction. [Sidenote: Assistance at Home in School Education] The new Britannica performs a service of the greatest importance in responding to the opening mind of the child. Children are the greatest of question askers, and the Britannica is the best question answerer ever devised. They want to know about the races of men, the different animals and plants they see; in fact, almost every object that comes under their observation. The inestimable advantage of answering an inquiry fully and correctly and not in an offhand manner is too obvious to need mention. _Let your young children see you go to your Britannica for information and as soon as they are old enough they will naturally do the same, and then the volumes will be performing their most efficient work in the household._ For helping children with their school “themes” and “compositions,” for elucidation or amplification of any topic that comes up in the course of their studies, there is no medium so useful as the new Britannica—the most exhaustive compendium of knowledge which has ever been devised, with its elaborate index of 500,000 alphabetical references, giving instant access to every fact in the whole work. Of equal assistance will be its employment in connection with Sunday School lessons; for the accounts of the Bible and its separate books, giving the latest results of Biblical criticism, are the product of the highest learning of the age. [Sidenote: The World of Nature] For the instruction of children about the history of mankind, the nature of the universe, the animal, plant, and mineral world, the new Britannica offers a complete fund of necessary knowledge. There are 277 astronomical articles, including biographies; 889 zoological articles; 675 on plants; 380 on minerals and rocks. The classified subject-list in the Index Volume places the whole of this material immediately before the eye. The articles ANTHROPOLOGY (Vol. 2, p. 108), by Dr. Edward B. Tylor of Oxford University, dean of living anthropologists, and ETHNOLOGY AND ETHNOGRAPHY (Vol. 9, p. 849) describe the races of mankind, man’s place in nature, the origin of man, and his antiquity. The main article ZOOLOGY (Vol. 28, p. 1022), by Sir Edwin Ray Lankester, of London University, is an introduction to knowledge of the whole of the animal world, which is amplified, with minute details, in separate accounts of all members of the animal kingdom. ZOOLOGICAL DISTRIBUTION (Vol. 28, p. 1002), by the noted naturalist, Richard Lydekker, is a mine of information about the distribution of living animals and their forerunners on the surface of the globe. Articles of great importance are BOTANY (Vol. 4, p. 299), by Dr. A. B. Rendle of the British Museum, and the great article PLANTS (Vol. 21, p. 728), in the various sections of which the whole story of the vegetable world is told by eight famous specialists. There are, of course, separate articles on all plants. We also recommend to parents a careful study of the section (Vol. 23, p. 120) of REPRODUCTION, _Reproduction of Plants_, by Dr. S. H. Vines, and POLLINATION (Vol. 22, p. 2), from which they can give their children much necessary instruction. Such a course is now strongly advised by educators and authorities in child-study as the best method of preparing the mind for a healthy, sane knowledge of sex matters in later years. [Sidenote: What Happens on the Earth and in the Air] All the facts about the earth’s surface will be found in GEOGRAPHY, in the section _Principles of Geography_ (Vol. 11, p. 630), by Dr. H. R. Mill, formerly president of the Royal Meteorological Society; and see also OCEAN AND OCEANOGRAPHY (Vol. 19, p. 967), by Dr. Otto Krümmel, professor of geography, University of Kiel, and Dr. H. R. Mill. Everything about the weather, storms, etc., may be learned from METEOROLOGY (Vol. 18, p. 264), by Dr. Cleveland Abbe, professor of meteorology in the U. S. Weather Bureau; and from ATMOSPHERIC ELECTRICITY (Vol. 2, p. 860), by Dr. Charles Chree of the National Physical Laboratory, England. Clouds always appeal strongly to a child’s imagination. The article CLOUD (Vol. 6, p. 557), by A. W. Clayden, author of _Cloud Studies_, has beautiful illustrations of cloud forms, with explanations. Lord Rayleigh, a winner of the Nobel prize and one of the most distinguished of living scientists, in the article SKY (Vol. 25, p. 202) explains why the blue of the sky varies as it does. Parents will find a great deal to tell their children about phenomena of nature in such articles as EARTHQUAKE (Vol. 8, p. 817), by F. W. Rudler, formerly president of the Geologists’ Association, England, and Dr. John Milne, author of _Earthquakes_; and VOLCANO (Vol. 28, p. 178), by F. W. Rudler. Glaciers and their effects are described in GLACIER (Vol. 12, p. 60), by E. C. Spicer. In teaching rudimentary things about the heavens, it is well to note that CONSTELLATION (Vol. 7, p. 11), by Charles Everitt, contains star-maps by which the positions may easily be recognized. After reading STAR (Vol. 25, p. 784), by A. S. Eddington, of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, many wonders of the heavens about the number of the stars, their distances, the variable and double stars, etc., may be told the child. The same is true of the articles PLANET (Vol. 21, p. 714), by Dr. Simon Newcomb, director of the American Nautical Almanac and professor of mathematics in the Navy, and of the separate accounts of all the different planets; COMET (Vol. 6, p. 759), by Dr. Newcomb; and NEBULA (Vol. 19, p. 332), by A. S. Eddington, etc. These are all very fully illustrated. Ideas as to the structure of the universe, the origin of the solar system, etc., will be found in NEBULAR THEORY (Vol. 19, p. 333), by Sir Robert S. Ball, professor of astronomy, Cambridge University. [Sidenote: The Training of the Hand] A great many children show a liking for the mechanical arts and are curious about processes of manufacture. Parents will find in the new Britannica complete information about the marvelous things ingenious machines do and how they do them; for example, SPINNING (Vol. 25, p. 685), by T. W. Fox, professor of textiles in the University of Manchester; COTTON-SPINNING MACHINERY (Vol. 7, p. 301), also by Professor Fox; WEAVING (Vol. 28, p. 440), by Professor Fox, with illustrations; HOSIERY (Vol. 13, p. 788), by Thomas Brown, of the Incorporated Weaving, Dyeing and Printing College, Glasgow; CARPET (Vol. 5, p. 392), by A. S. Cole, assistant secretary for art, Board of Education, England; SILK (Vol. 25, p. 96), by Frank Warner, president of the Silk Association of Great Britain and Ireland; Richard Snow, examiner in silk throwing and spinning for the City and Guilds of London Institute, and Arthur Mellor; FLOUR AND FLOUR MANUFACTURE (Vol. 10, p. 548), by G. F. Zimmer, author of _Mechanical Handling of Material_; ROPE AND ROPE MAKING (Vol. 23, p. 713), by Thomas Woodhouse, head of the weaving and textile department, Technical College, Dundee; SUGAR, _Sugar Manufacture_ (Vol. 26, p. 35), by A. Chapman, designer and constructor of sugar machinery, and Valentine W. Chapman. [Sidenote: The Foundation of Good Taste] An important service to education is rendered by the Britannica in the way that it supplements and extends education received in the school. There, far too often children learn little or nothing of the world of art, of the beautiful creations of the human intellect by means of which, even before the dawn of history, men attempted to express in concrete form their sense of beauty. It is surely most desirable for children to have an idea, at least, of principles and styles of architecture; of ancient and modern painting and sculpture—to know the chief characteristics of schools of art; to have a little knowledge of musical forms, of what a symphony, a concerto, a sonata, an opera, are; to be able to recognize a piece of Dresden, Sèvres, Italian faience, Copenhagen, or Wedgwood ware when they see it; to know the different periods and styles of furniture; to tell Bohemian from Venetian glass; to be familiar with lovely textiles and fabrics and to appreciate their true value. Such knowledge is the foundation of good taste. It serves to arouse appreciation of, and respect for, the objects with which a child is surrounded, and leads to delightful interests, recreations and occupations in later years. There are few better and more constant uses to which the Britannica can be put than the systematic education of children in matters of general culture and refined taste. [Sidenote: Knowledge of the Fine Arts] A list of articles to serve this purpose would be too long to give here. They are easily found by means of other chapters in this Guide. But special mention may be made of ARCHITECTURE (Vol. 2, p. 369), by R. Phené Spiers, master of the architectural school, Royal Academy, London, by John Bilson, of the University of Manchester, and others; PAINTING (Vol. 20, p. 459), by Prof. G. B. Brown of Edinburgh University; L. Bénédite, keeper of the Luxembourg Gallery, Paris; Richard Muther, professor of modern art, Breslau University; and John C. Van Dyke, professor of history of art, Rutgers College; SCULPTURE (Vol. 24 p. 488), by Marion H. Spielmann, formerly editor, _Magazine of Art_, P. G. Konody, art critic of the _Observer_, L. Bénédite, and Dr. J. H. Middleton, Slade professor of fine art, Cambridge University; CERAMICS (Vol. 5, p. 703), by Hon. William Burton, chairman, Joint Committee of Pottery Manufacturers of Great Britain, R. L. Hobson of the British Museum, and other authorities; GLASS (Vol. 12, p. 86), by Alexander Nesbitt, H. J. Powell, author of _Glass Making_, and Dr. W. Rosenhain of the National Physical Laboratory, England; LACE (Vol. 16, p. 37), by A. S. Cole, author of _Embroidery and Lace_; FURNITURE (Vol. 11, p. 363), by J. Penderel-Brodhurst. All of these articles are superbly illustrated, and this feature alone would give them a direct educational value for young people. [Sidenote: The Best Picture-Book in the World] In fact, the new Britannica may be said to be the greatest and most varied picture book in existence. There are 7,000 text illustrations and 450 full-page plates. This suggests at once a special use for the work in making children familiar, by purely pictorial means, with objects they should learn to recognize. When a child asks for a description of some object whose name has aroused his curiosity, it is safe to say that an accurate picture of it will be found in the new Britannica. Suppose that he has heard of a dirigible balloon and wants to know how it differs from the ordinary balloon which he has seen. The index will guide his instructor to the article AERONAUTICS (Vol. 1, p. 260), with two full-page plates of dirigible balloons. A child can learn to distinguish the breeds of domestic animals from the illustrations alone. Thirst for mechanical knowledge may be satisfied by such articles as STEAM ENGINE (Vol. 25, p. 818), with about 70 illustrations, by Prof. J. A. Ewing, of Cambridge University; WATCH (Vol. 28, p. 362), by Lord Grimthorpe and Sir H. H. Cunynghame; LIGHTHOUSE (Vol. 16, p. 627), by W. T. Douglass and N. G. Gedye; TELEPHONE (Vol. 26, p. 547), by Emile Garcke; and LOCK (Vol. 16, p. 841), by A. B. Chatwood—all fully illustrated. [Sidenote: Sport and Recreation] The new Britannica is an exhaustive and practical compendium of sports, games, and recreations of all kinds. Part 6 of this Guide contains a survey of this department in the book. There are over 260 articles on sports and games alone, and they describe clearly how each is played, and also give expert advice. There is also much that is extremely interesting in the historical development of pastimes, a knowledge of which heightens the interest and pleasure of those who participate in them; and parents can be of real assistance to their children in instructing them about their sports, and by acquiring this information themselves can give sympathetic appreciation to the children’s amusements. Among the noteworthy contributions on sports and games there are CHILDREN’S GAMES (Vol. 6, p. 141), an article for parents by Alice B. Gomme, an expert on this subject; GAMES, CLASSICAL (Vol. 11, p. 443), an account which every boy will read with pleasure, by Francis Storr, editor of the _Journal of Education_, London; ATHLETIC SPORTS (Vol. 2, p. 846); BASE-BALL (Vol. 3, p. 458), by Edward Breck; BASKET-BALL (Vol. 3, p. 483), FOOTBALL (Vol. 10, p. 617), of which the American section is written by Walter Camp, the football expert; KITE-FLYING (Vol. 15, p. 839), by Major-Gen. Baden Powell; MARBLES (Vol. 17, p. 679), by W. E. Garrett Fisher; LAWN TENNIS (Vol. 16, p. 300), by R. J. McNeill; SWIMMING (Vol. 26, p. 231), by William Henry, founder and chief secretary of the Royal Life Saving Society; SKATING (Vol. 25, p. 166), and COASTING (Vol. 6, p. 603). [Sidenote: Diverting Occupations] Recreation in the form of diverting occupations is sometimes more attractive to children, especially to those of a practical turn of mind, than sports and games. It is often difficult for parents to encourage these inclinations, since they themselves may not be familiar with the subjects for which their children show a special aptitude, and a real talent may thus fail to be cultivated. As soon as any particular bent in the child is discovered, a parent ought to consider it a duty to learn to help the boy or girl. The new Encyclopaedia Britannica will, on all subjects of diverting occupations, prove of immense practical assistance to parents. They will find all that they need to know to help their children under such headings as PHOTOGRAPHY (Vol. 21, p. 485), by Sir William de Wiveleslie Abney, formerly president of the Royal Photographic Society, James Waterhouse also a former president of the same society, who writes on photographic apparatus, and A. H. Hinton, author of _Practical Pictorial Photography_, etc.; BEE, _Bee Keeping_ (Vol. 3, p. 628), by W. B. Carr, formerly editor of the _Bee-Keeper’s Record_; the article AVIARY, on the keeping of birds (Vol. 3, p. 60), by David Seth-Smith, formerly president of the Avicultural Society; POULTRY AND POULTRY FARMING (Vol. 22, p. 213), by Lewis Wright, author of _The Practical Poultry-Keeper_; BASKET, _Basket Making_ (Vol. 3, p. 481); HORTICULTURE (Vol. 13, p. 741), by M. T. Masters, late editor of _The Gardener’s Chronicle_, W. R. W. Williams, superintendent of London County Council Botany Centre, John Weathers, author of _Practical Guide to Garden Plants_, Prof. Liberty Hyde Bailey, director of the College of Agriculture, Cornell University, and Peter Henderson; CARPENTRY (Vol. 5, p. 386), by James Bartlett, lecturer on construction, at Kings College, London; CONJURING (Vol. 6, p. 943), by John Algernon Clarke, G. Faur, and John Nevil Maskelyne.