NORTH AMERICAN REVIEW FOR MARCH.-Contents: Is our Civilization Perishable? Judge J. A. Jameson; Agricultural Politics in England, W. E. Bear; A Defenceless Seaboard, Gen. H. A. Smalley; Neither Genius nor Martyr, A. H. Rhine; The Story of a Nomination, W. O. Stoddard; Literary Resurrectionists, C. T. Congdon; How to Improve the Mississippi, Ro. S. Taylor: The Constitutionality of Repudiation, D. H. Chamberlain and John S. Wise, M. C.

THE AMERICAN ANTIQUARIAN for January.-Contents: Frontispiece, "The Tablet of the Cross;" Native Races of Columbia, Sixth Paper; The Emblematic Mounds of Wisconsin, illustrated, S. D. Peet; Abraham's Offering of Isaac; Correspondence-Copper Implements, Census of the Twana and Clallam Indians, Prehistoric remains from Mississippi, A Stone Pyramid in South America, Method of Writing Dakotah, The destruction of Mounds, Antiquities of Hamilton Co, Iowa, Archæology in Ohio, Discoveries at Jerusalem; Editorial, Editorial Notes; Personal; Human Bones in the Quaternary: Recent Discoveries; Linguistic Notes; Notes on Classic Archæology; Notes from Oriental Periodicals; Literary Notes; Book Reviews.

For the children-OUR LITTLE ONES and THE Nursery,

THE MARCH CENTURY.-Von Moltke's portrait which is a fine frontispiece, and the character por trait of Irving as Hamlet, lend a personal interest to the March Century. Each accompanies a striking article; Miss Helen Zimmern tells the remarkable story of the life of "Count Von Moltke" with anecdotal interest, and J. Ranken Towse contributes a pointed estimate of Henry Irving's dramatic art.

The paper on "The Next Presidency," by ex-Attorney-General Wayne MacVeagh, is a powerful analysis of the political situation, and a cutting satire on the men who are responsible for abuses which await the reforming hand of the kind of Presidemt Mr. MacVeagh delineates. Another important essay, by D. McG. Means, discusses methods for "The Suppession of Pauperism."

In their order, the illustrated papers are an interesting description of "The New Washington," considered both in its material and social aspects. Richard Grant White writes, with his usual pith, about "Old Public Buildings in America," and the pictures explain as well as embellish.

The fiction of the number includes the fourth part of "An Average Man," the fifth of Mr. Cable's "Dr. Sevier." and a short story, dealing with social prejudices in a Western city, and entitled "Mrs. Finlay's Elizabethan Chair.

ST. NICHOLAS for March-Contents. Frontispiece, "A Stampede;" Among the Mustangs, five illustrations; Eli's Education, Third Spinning-wheel Story, Louisa M. Alcott, two illustrations: The Little Girl Who Wouldn't Say "O," Verse; Blown Out to Sea, seven illustrations; Doctor Sophia Edith's Office Girl; The Weary Page, Picture; Whose Scissors Did It? Verses; The Coast-Guard, Poem; The Land of Fire, Chapters XII, XIII, XIV, XV, and XVI, Mayne Reid, four illustrations; An Alphabet Menagerie, Jingles, illustrated and engrossed by Reginald B. Birch; Girl-Noblesse, A Repeat of History, Mrs. A. D. T. Whitney, three illustrations; Her Name, Verses; The Brownies' Balloon, Poem, Palmer Cox, four illustrations; Winter Fun, Chapter V, two illustrations; Historic Boys, Giovanni of Florence, the Boy Cardinal; The Wind-Flower, Poem, Lucy Larcom; Wong Ning's Ideas, illustration, Portrait of Wong Ning; For Very Little Folk; The St. Nicholas Almanac; Jack-in-the-Pulpit, illustrated; The Letter-box, Agassiz Association, The Riddle-box, (Illus.)

THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY for March.-Contents: In War Time, V, VI, S. Weir Mitchell; Texts and Translations of Hafiz, E. P. Evans; A Pisan Winter, E. D. R Bianciardi; The Way to Arcady, H. C. Bunner; The Discovery of Peruvian Bark, Henry M. Lyman; A Roman Singer, XVII, XVIII, F. Marion Crawford: Deisidaimonia, A. F.; The Journal of a Hessian Baroness; Drifting Down Lost Creek, I. Charles Egbert Craddock; Don John of Austria, Alexander Young: The Girdle of Friendship, Oliver Wendell Holmes; The Sources of Early Israelitish History, Philip H. Wicksteed; The Fate of Mansfield Humphreys, Richard Grant White: Henry Irving, Henry A. Clapp; The American Edition of Keats; Francesca da Rimini; English Folk- Lore and London Humors; The Contributors' Club; Books of the Month.

POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY for March.-Contents: From Moner to Man; College Athletics, II, Illustrated; Green Suns and Red Sunsets; The Ancestry of Birds, by Professor Grant Allen; Mexico and its Antiquities, Illustrated; The Remedies of Nature-Catarrh, Pleurisy, Croup, by Felix Oswald, M. D.; Study-Physiologically Considered, by Dr. P. J. Higgins; Fashion and Deformity in the Feet, Illustrated; On Rainbows, by John Tyndall, F. R. S.; Science versus The Classics, by Professor C. A. Eggert The Jury System; The Chemistry of Cookery; Science and Safety at Sea, by R. A. Proctor; Sketch of Ormsby Macknight Mitchel, With Portrait; Correspondence-Mosquitoes and Malaria-A Reply to Editorial Statements; Editor's Table-Collegiate Influence upon the Lower Education; Literary Notices; Popular Miscellany; Notes.

LIPPINCOTT'S MAGAZINE for March with a full and interesting table of contents has been received.

OFFICIAL DEPARTMENT.

R. R. FARR, Superintendent Public Instruction, Editor.

[The Journal is sent to every County Superintendent and District Clerk, and must be carefully preserved by them as public property and transmitted to their successors in office.]

THE Annual Conference of Superintendents will meet in the Hall of the House of Delegates, commencing the 15th day of April, 1884, at 8 P. M.

The proceedings will be opened with prayer by Rev. George W. Dame, and an address of welcome will be delivered by his Excellency W. E. Cameron, Governor, and ex officio chairman of the Board of Education.

A committee on order of business will be appointed at the night. meeting, who will report at the opening of the session on Wednesday morning.

The meeting on Tuesday night will be an informal one, and every member is invited to come prepared to offer such suggestions as he may deem pertinent as to the best plan upon which to conduct the conference in order to secure the greatest results therefrom, so that the committee on order of business may arrange the programme of exercises to meet the wishes of the conference.

PROGRAMME.-We deem it best to let the conference arrange its own programme, but take pleasure in announcing that the following distinguished gentlemen have kindly promised to be present and assist us in the work:

Hon. J. L. M. Curry, agent of the Peabody Education Fund, says that he will take an active part in the work of the conference, and that he is especially desirous of making the acquaintance of every Superintendent in the State.

Hon. John Eaton, United States Commissioner of Education, is enthusiastic on the success of our conference last year, and will help us again. He will lecture on "Education and the Building of the State" and kindred subjects.

Hon. T. W. Bicknell, President of the National Educational Assotion, promises, if possible, to be with us, and will give valuable information in regard to the annual meeting of the association. "This

great gathering of American teachers" will meet in Madison, Wisconsin, July 15th to 18th, 1884.

Professor T. N. Conrad, President of the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College, will assist in the work of the conference, and will lecture on the "Aims and Purposes of the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College."

Professor C. E. Vawter, of the Miller Manual Labor School, has not reported the subject of his address, but will be with us.

General S. C. Armstrong, President of the Hampton Normal and Collegiate Institute, in addition to conference work will lecture on Labor as a Moral Force."

Professor W. B. McGilvray will coöperate as usual, but has not reported the subject of his principal address.

Professor W. F. Fox, of the Richmond High School, and a member of the conference, will deliver an address on the "Importance and Benefits of Proper School Literature.”

Superintendent J. G. Cannon will offer for discussion the subject: "Free text-books along with free education," and will deliver an address thereon.

Other members of the conference who desire to present subjects for consideration will please send them in at once.

The above is only a part of the attractions; others will be reported when the conference meets.

TRUSTEES and teachers who desire to attend the conference can obtain transportation cards and information by calling on their respective Superintendents.

REDUCED RATES TO CONFERENCE.-The different lines of railroads in the State and the hotels of this city have responded favorably to our request for a reduction in their rates to the conference, and whilst in some cases they are not as low as we hoped they might be, yet we fully appreciate the favor granted.

We give the following, as far as heard from:

Chesapeake and Ohio Railway.-Pay full fare coming and purchase tickets on returning at one cent per mile.

Richmond and Petersburg Railroad.-Round-trip tickets from Petersburg, $1.60; Chester, $1; Centralia, 85 cents.

Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad.-Round-trip tickets at one unlimited fare.

Richmond and Danville Railroad. - Round-trip tickets at one fare. Norfolk and Western Railroad.-Round-trip tickets at two and a-half cents per mile each way.

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. -Round-trip tickets at two cents per mile each way.

Virginia Midland Railroad.-Round-trip tickets at one unlimited fare.

Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad.-Round-trip tickets for one fare. Washington, Ohio and Western Railroad.-Round-trip tickets for one fare.

Alexandria and Fredericksburg.-Regular excursion rates.

Richmond and Alleghany.-Two and a half cents per mile each way, and from Lynchburg to Richmond and return, $6.50.

Certificates.

The plan adopted last year will be followed this. Superintendents will be provided with cards giving the rates of reduction for their own use, which will be officially signed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction. They will also be furnished with certificates containing the same information to be filled out and signed by them for any of their teachers or trustees who may wish to attend the conference, which will entitle the holder to the reduced railroad and hotel rates.

Tickets Good till April 25th.

To obviate the difficulty experienced last year by the limited time given for return tickets, by special request the railroad officials have very kindly consented to make the return tickets good until the 25th of April.

TO MEMBERS OF THE CONFERENCE.-I desire to state that the coming meeting of the Superintendents of the State and Principals of High Schools differs in one essential respect from the one held last year; then you were assembled at my instance as your superior officer, in order that we might take counsel together as to the best means to be adopted to secure an efficient and proper administration of the public free school system of our State which had been so largely committed to your care. You responded to my call with commendable promptness, and when it is remembered that your salaries are small and that you paid your own expenses while attending the conference, too much cannot be said in praise of those who were

present. The conference was a complete success-eighty-nine Superintendents out of one hundred and nine being present.

The interest in the proceedings never flagged and the members expressed their appreciation by passing sundry resolutions, among which was one making the conference a permanent organization and providing for an annual meeting to be held at such time each year as the President might deem best.

I was selected by the conference as its President, and as such, in discharge of the duty imposed upon me, have fixed the 15th day of April, 1884, as the date of our next meeting, and I expect every member to be present. Don't begin to frame excuses, but rather make up your mind that nothing within your control shall prevent your being present. It will pay any Superintendent who really feels an interest in the success of his schools, to attend; in addition to the information that can be gained from the addresses by the distinguished educators, who will participate, the fact of coming in contact with other Superintendents, and exchanging views will lighten the duties of the office, by making the officer better acquainted with the responsi bilities he is required to meet.

The benefits which accrued to the system from the last meeting cannot be over-estimated, and as we learn by experience this can be made much more effective even than that.

I have determined to give the conference full latitude and will leave to it the arrangement of the programme.

There are many live questions that ought to be determined, foremost among which is how best to elevate the teacher; for, though some of our modern Solons seem to think that there is no need for educating the teacher, still all of our most practical and advanced educators contend that there is, and as one of the means of at least elevating and dignifying the profession I am of opinion that the standard necessary to entitle a teacher to a professional certificate ought to be raised. The professional certificate was originally intended as a mark of distinguished ability in a teacher; but instead of this high standing being maintained, I regret to say that in some of our counties it now seems to be a mark of distinguished favoritism. The Superintendents alone have the power to correct this wrong, as they pass upon the qualification of teachers, and by an agreement among themselves can at least determine upon what the standard for a professional certificate shall be, which need not affect other grades of certificates. I hope you will all think of this and come to the conference prepared to take some action.