THE Advocate in its last issue has touched upon a timely subject in its editorial, treating of the need of a course in Music corresponding to the popular one in Fine Arts. We need such courses in a few other departments besides that of Music, and such a one in Astronomy has been wanted for some time, and yet we seem to be no nearer having it than we have been before. It is an o d subject perhaps, and we have treated of it before now but it still remains open to discussion.

The advantages of such a course are obvious and have been considered at other times than this. As Geology IV aims to give us a general and so called popular knowledge of the world, - of the composition and history of the earth, the growth of matter and the development of man - so a popular course in Astronomy would aim to give us a general knowledge of the heavenly bodies, their history, so far as it is known, their relation to each other and their probable future. The Annex already offers a course in Astronomy by Professor Searle, which, being entitled Descriptive Astronomy, undoubtedly approaches nearest to what we mean. But at present we have no means in the college curriculum of obtaining any knowledge of the heavens, of the connection of the stars with ancient mythology or the treatment of the planetary system. We do not advocate a study which shall be technical or scientific or mathematical to an unnecessary degree, which shall assume much previous knowledge on the part of the student or call for any special research. What we ask for is a simple elementary course, adapted to a man knowing little or nothing of the universe about him and beyond our own world, a course, as we have said, that will treat of the heavens in the same fashion that Geology IV treats of the earth, a course, in short, that will be "popular" in the sense that it is general and simple and not scientifically specific.