seventeen years, with a fee from 10 to 100 francs covering the annual session. There are 58 of these _gymnasiums_, with 12,500 students. As a fair sample, the weekly curriculum of a first-class girls’ _gymnasium_ in Bern may be given: Monday, history; Tuesday, religion; Wednesday, arithmetic; Thursday, religion; Friday, French; Saturday, religion, eight to nine o’clock. Monday, German; Tuesday, French; Wednesday, geography; Thursday, singing; Friday, German; Saturday, French, nine to ten o’clock. Monday, arithmetic; Tuesday, natural history; Wednesday, German; Thursday, history; Friday, natural history; Saturday, geography, ten to eleven o’clock. Monday, gymnastics; Tuesday, singing; Wednesday, French; Thursday, German; Friday, arithmetic; Saturday, arithmetic, two to three o’clock P.M. Monday, drawing; Tuesday, readings; Wednesday, holiday; Thursday, book-keeping; Friday, readings; Saturday, holiday, three to four o’clock P.M. There are four _universities_ in Switzerland, located respectively at Basel, Bern, Zurich, and Geneva. The one at Basel was founded in 1460, and in the early Reformation times was one of the most famous institutions in Europe; attracting Erasmus, of Rotterdam, from his professorship at Cambridge, and the German Œcolampadius, one of the most learned men of his country, and to whose patient teaching and moderate temper was due no little of the taking root of the Reformed doctrines in Switzerland.[74] Each university contains the four faculties of law, theology, medicine, arts and philosophy, and will compare favorably in teaching-power, apart from the mere accessories of endowments and splendid buildings, with any universities to be found in Europe. The tuition depends on the number and character of the faculties attended, varying from 2½ to 10 francs per week, and 100 to 200 francs per annum. The degree conferred is equivalent to that of “Doctor” in the German, and “Bachelor” in the French universities. The matriculation of these universities by the last report was 2371, including 107 female students, and employing 200 teachers. In addition to these universities, of the same rank with them is the Polytechnic at Zurich, founded in 1854. This is, in fact, the only educational institution which is directly and exclusively under the control of the Confederation. The federal authorities do not interfere with the methods of instruction and matters of detail in the different schools that may be assisted by the Confederation. The total annual expenditure of the Polytechnic is about 500,000 francs, and is defrayed by the government. Extensive improvements and additions are in course of construction, under a federal appropriation of 1,000,000 francs for that purpose. The Polytechnic comprises seven distinct schools, with courses varying from two and a half to three and a half years, viz.: