CHORAL HALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 4900, 31 July 1877, Page 4

CHORAL HALL.

BOA.KD OF KDITATIOX LECTTi:ES. Mi:. Skvkk.n' delivered tho second of thi? series yesterday evening, to a huus? liu-rallv-crammrd with children of all classen, an'\ of every age from six to sixteen. The sr.l.jojt was, "The L'arth and its Satellite." Th« lecture was illustrated by di»gr*:r.s urA models, which had something of an iu;nrovised character, but yet answered the purpose very well. ! lie lucid exposition uf'the lecturer, however, was sufficient to ccnirensate for any apparent deiiui-ncy in "tho diagrams of reference. JTte explaiiKjl the orbttory and rotatory motion of the earth, tho force and effects of gravitation, and by means of Home very ir. gnnions illuminated slides, afforded a very plain and intelligible account of the the;rv of eclipses, tides, longitade, latitude. &i

Tlie photographs of the moon, together wit tlm theories respecting its surface ap;.-r. ances as seen through powerful tehseopwere usn-ci.-vlly inter.-st.ing, aud the iafor:-:: tion s.'i'.-L-n was very full a? well ai detiilcc

;ild havj been well, however, if a'! i

tc-.oY-ra hail their voung pupils I in Land, for there was a tendency M demonstrative npplausi-, which interfere! very much with the real object of these lectures —namely, to (iiffuse the largest amount of information . and insira;tion. This is a difficulty rrhich requires but littlo attention and trouble t-i prevent it during the remaining lecture; of tho course. One thing ie quite certain, that the Board of Education will have the her. encouragement to repast this liberal treatment of the school children Oα all future occasions that may be suitable. The more solid mental fare provided was diversified by considerable entertiiment which wn afforded by microscopic objects magnified to .1 very high power, ami represented on a screen by means of the oxyhydrogan lamp;. These again were followed bysome interest::;;; topographical views in Xe« Zealand. Mr. Severn announced that the Board of iv.iucJtion would give certificates of merit sent ia upon each lecture, but that the essays must be sont in three clavs after the lecture which forms the subject oi any oi them. The na; lecture will bs on "Terrestrial Magnetic/' to be delivered on Thursday next. Th:: these lectures will become extremely pojsukr there can be no doubt, for they ore precisely what is desirable to supplement the oruici.-y teaching of the school o!a=«e'=.