The Spectrum, an unpretending paper, published at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, made its first appearance just after our second number. It seems hardly strong enough to have a long life, but by careful nursing it may grow and flourish. It wisely ascribes its paternity, not to the whole Institute, but to the class of '75, thus relieving three classes of quite a burden. The best article in it is the editorial, short, well written, and so closely resembling in ideas and language the initiatory one in the Magenta, that we are forced to admire it.

There was much difficulty and discussion before the name which it now bears could be decided upon. This we learn from decidedly the best piece of poetry in it, two verses of which we give to illustrate their tribulations as well as the quality of the poetry.

"O, what shall it be? We want one unique.

'The Transit,' says Brown of seventy-five,

'You might as well call it "The Theodolite."

'That is to engineering y, man alive!'

"So The Spectrum it is: and here let me say,

That it is not spectre-um nor ghostly at all;

And we hope that our paper may be a success,

And may meet with the approbation of all."

Engineeringy is good! Moreover, it is only one of those words which impart such a vague flavor of Physics and Mathematics to the whole number. The column headed "Spectrum Lines" shows conclusively that the editor's "lines have not fallen in pleasant places," for the wit and point in its jokes are carefully concealed. In other respects the paper is quite commendable.

The second number has just been received, and it is but justice to say that it is a great improvement on the first.

THE University Echo, Oakland, California, in the language of the honest miner, appears to have seen itself and gone four pages better; or, on second thoughts, suppose we say larger! It has a good deal of news, a superabundance of poetry, and one very entertaining article on "Roads and Railroads," some portions of which may be useful to our readers. "From numerous widely extended and highly scientific observations on the subject, we deduce the following laws: -

FIRST. The cost of one vote in a public body varies inversely as the whole number of votes in that body.

SECOND. The cost of a vote varies directly as the amount of money to be made out of the scheme.

There is rather more mathematical work in the article than we deem necessary to give here; all, however, depends upon the formula: -

This is illustrated by the case of the "Tammany Ring." "Suppose that the swindle amounted to $30,000,000. Let n = 100. Then we have

Now, it is a remarkable fact, that a statement of Judge Davis, on information obtained from a prominent lobbyist, makes the price of Senators on that occasion exactly twenty thousand dollars."

The same number contains a poem, "Our Mother," which, though highly creditable from a filial point of view, contains much that is peculiar. The first verse, to quote Count Smorltork, "surprises by himself."

"This is our mother, John,

Though not so fine may be her gown,

As others you may see,

It is most beautiful to me."

And the second is like unto it, -

"Because Willie and I

Have new jackets so often, is why,

Her's is faded and worn,

And so mended and torn."

Under the circumstances, we cannot blame the author for reverencing his mother, especially when she is arrayed in her jacket which is mended where it is torn; but if he would spend the time, in some lucrative employment such as saw-filing, which he wastes in torturing the ear with such - as this, both his mother and the world would doubtless be better off.

FROM the Yale Courant we learn that the University Nine are to have a new and gorgeous uniform. "The material is a Scotch cassimere of a light gray color, with blue trimmings. The shirt is to be open before, like a coat; the sleeves without cuffs, but trimmed with blue at the wrists. The "Y" is to be wrought in blue silk on the breast. Over this is to be worn a loose roundabout without trimmings. The belt is blue and wrought. Knee-breeches are to be discarded, and the breeches will reach to the ankles and button over the shoes. A blue cord down the legs is the trimming. The shoes will be white." The Nine are reported to be working hard at the gymnasium.

"THE Magenta, which, as might be expected from its patrician descent, has never 'squalled' since it came into being, or showed any traces of infant depravity in attempting to scratch its big brother, has already gotten its legs and become playful. It has begun to poke sticks through the fence at its neighbors and natural playmates, the Courant and Record. Sweet infant prodigy, we warn you that it is not yet near enough to the millennium to make it at all safe for children, weaned or unweaned, to pursue their little games near the domicile of the asp." - Yale Lit.