THE PENIKESE SCHOOL.

SO much has been said, and so many inquiries made, about the Anderson School of Natural History, as to make a statement of its present standing and prospects generally acceptable. Through the courtesy of its Director, we are now in possession of the material necessary to such a statement. At the close of last summer season at Penikese it was found that, though doing a great work, the School was threatened with financial difficulties. This at first occasioned no serious alarm to the Trustees, as they had been led to expect that Mr. Anderson, its founder, would look out for the School for three years from 1874; on the presentation to him of last year's account, however, the Trustees discovered that no more assistance was to be expected from Mr. Anderson.

The Trustees did not abandon the School; but as early as January last issued a circular stating that any decisive arrangements for the coming season would be postponed until the first of May. In April another circular was issued, a copy of which will be found in the Magenta for April 23; in this it was stated that the Trustees had found themselves at the end of the means at their disposal, and to carry on the School it was proposed to charge a fee of fifty dollars. This circular was followed, early in May, by another, naming the length of the session for 1875, the departments of instruction, and the instructors and lecturers engaged. Before the issue of the April circular, containing notice of the School's attempt at self-support, there had been one hundred and sixty applications; this number immediately fell to seven paying applicants. A guaranty fund of $3,000 had been raised, but this still left a probable deficit of $3,000; and a minimum of thirty paying scholars was needed. This last failure to secure funds for the School occasioned a final circular from Mr. Agassiz, the Director of the School, from which we quote the following:-

"The numerous applications for this summer's session at Penikese have been so much reduced by the attempt to make the School partially self-supporting, that the Trustees are forced, in order to save the institution from debt, to close it for the coming season. Since no assistance is to be expected from the State Boards of Education, in the form of scholarships or otherwise, it becomes evident that the School must be carried on either by the help of the teachers for whose advantage it is intended, or by an endowment. The gift of Mr. Anderson, however generous, only sufficed to equip the School in an inexpensive manner, and to support it for two seasons. Repeated efforts to place it on a permanent basis have failed, and the Trustees do not feel justified, especially at a time when it is so difficult to raise money for scientific objects, in running further risks to keep up an establishment requiring, in consequence of its location, very large means.

"This interruption arises neither from lack of enthusiasm in the pupils of Penikese, nor from any want of generous interest in the naturalists who have thus far given their services to aid the enterprise. On the contrary, the second summer at Penikese was, to the surprise of its friends, as striking a success as the first had been, and the lists for the coming year were as crowded as ever. But the pupils at Penikese come from a poorly paid class. However grateful for the privilege of studying at a seaside school of natural history, very few among them can afford to contribute even a small sum toward its support. On the other hand, the Professors, disinterested as they have shown themselves, can hardly continue year after year to give up their summer months, without any adequate remuneration, to this undertaking."

At present there seems even less hope of an early resumption of the work at Penikese than when the circular which we have quoted from was issued. The Director says, "No further attempt will be made to run the School at Penikese, as, owing to its location, the extra expense attending the running of the School would provide for it anywhere else.

"A summer school limited to a few of the best students in Natural History, connected with the College, will probably be established next year (1876); but I doubt that a school of the present scope of Penikese can be run, unless very largely endowed. The Trustees are already too far in debt to feel that they can go on with it, as matters now stand."