We recently received a communication from a member of the sophomore class on the subject of hour examinations, and although we do not publish the letter in full we take the liberty of using it for a text upon which to make our comments. In the first place our correspondent asks whether hour examinations are necessary. We believe that strictly speaking they are not necessary, although we grant that they may be useful, as for instance, to enable an instructor to gain an idea of what his section is doing. But, asks our correspondent further, is there no other way of doing this ? This is a hard question to answer. We think that most instructors can gain a very fair idea of the work of their sections by some other method than the hour examination, but we are ready to admit that there may be isolated cases where this is really the only practicable way of obtaining such information. But even if the latter is the case, we doubt if they are advisable, for we thoroughly agree with our correspondent when he says that each examination breaks into a man's routine of study, and seriously so, we think. Moreover he states that students of high rank as well as those of low rank disapprove of the system. However this may be it does not change the question of fact. But there is something else to be said in favor of the hour examination besides that it gives the instructor valuable information about the work of his section. There can be no doubt that in a certain measure it helps many of the less studious by virtually forcing them to make up back work and to prepare themselves, at least superficially, upon the subject in question. This, however, is all we can say in its favor, and on reviewing the question we seriously think that hour examinations ought never to be held except under the most urgent circumstances. At best they are but a galling burden to the students, and the real advantage gained by them is insignificant.