very essence of education: for a man who professes to instruct to get among his pupils, study their character, gain their affections, and form their inclinations and aversions, together with that affectionate vigilance which is experienced in the best home-circle. These men regard the school as a psychological observatory, where they are to practise the very difficult art of discovering the capacities of the pupils, receiving them with a tender consideration for the good and evil they bring with them, and with an apt adjustment of the resources of education to their individual needs. The primary or communal schools come first in number. In every hamlet, where there may be twenty girls and boys, the communal officials must provide a school-house and hire a master. These are supposed to embrace the pupilage for the first five or six school-years. The lessons average from twenty to thirty weekly, and they have annual vacations from ten to twelve weeks. The children who are old enough to assist in work at home are only required to attend one-half of the day during the harvest season, or other busy times. In some instances there is provided for this class what is known as the supplementary school, which is held only on two mornings of the week; the aim being to help the pupil retain what he has already learned in the primary school until he can again resume his regular attendance. A curious custom prevails in some of these communal schools with respect to the supply of the necessary firewood in winter. Every boy or girl must contribute a piece; and in winter the children may be constantly seen tearing down-hill, each with a log of wood tied to a _luge_ (little sledge) as his contribution to the school-fire. The course of study in the primary school embraces: 1. Religion. 2. Native language. 3. Arithmetic. 4. Writing. 5. Physical and political geography. 6. History of Switzerland. 7. Elements of civic instruction. 8. Drawing. 9. Elements of natural science. 10. Singing. 11. Gymnastics; and 12. (For the girls) Manual work in knitting and sewing.