One hundred and forty-five horses are kept for the use of the student-officers, and eighty-two men belonging to the cavalry to look after them. Both the studies and examinations at the Staff School hold an intermediate place between those of the Polytechnic and St. Cyr, being less abstract than the former, and higher and more difficult than the latter. CONDITIONS OF ADMISSION.--ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS. The entrance to the Staff School of Application in France is, as is the case in all the French military schools, by means of a competitive examination, or, rather, by the results of three distinct examinations, and by the selection of different sets of successful candidates. _Three_ are taken from the students leaving the Polytechnic, who have an absolute right to the three first places in the Staff School, and _twenty-two_ are selected from the thirty best students leaving St. Cyr, and an equal number of sub-lieutenants of the line under twenty-five years of age, if so many present themselves. The sub-lieutenants must have one year of service in that rank, and they must make known their request to be allowed to compete for admission to the Staff School to the Inspector General, and, through him, to the Minister of War. It should be added, that their number is generally extremely small. The usual number of young officers admitted yearly to the school in time of peace is twenty-five, but this number is sometimes considerably exceeded, and we found no less than ninety present. The _three_ Polytechnic students select the Staff School after their final examination, and the St. Cyr students make known their desire when the whole are examined by a Board of Examiners, and the thirty best are then selected as competitors for admission into the Staff School of Application. The sub-lieutenants also repair to St. Cyr, where they are examined separately by the same examiners who have just conducted the examination of the St. Cyr students, and in the same subjects. Their marks or credits are then compared with those of the St. Cyr pupils; and the relative position of the two sets of candidates is ascertained, and the list of those to be admitted to the School of Application determined accordingly. These examinations take place before a Commission of Officers, composed of,-- A Lieutenant-General President, appointed by the Minister of War. The Director or Chief of the Dépôt de la Guerre. The Commandant of the School of Application. Four Colonels or Lieutenant-Colonels of the Staff, appointed by the Minister of War. A Field Officer chosen from among the Officers employed at the Dépôt de la Guerre, as permanent Secretary. This Commission is also charged with drawing up and proposing regulations for the approval of the Minister of War concerning the interior organization and the course of study to be followed in the school, and to make changes in the programmes for admission and for leaving the school.